Justice Legion of Avengers!
by FLASHFAN123
Summary: The Flag has traveled through time from WWII into the twenty-first century with no way to return home. Now, he must join a new team of heroes to continue his dream of keeping America as the greatest country in history! A re-do of my Flash/Captain America mash-up character. Rated PG-13 for language in later chapters.
1. Flag Family part 1

**Chapter I: The Flag Family Part 1**

Captain Steven Bartholomew Rodger Allen continued to increase the speed of his treadmill, pushing it to its maximum velocity. But for a man who could break the sound barrier in under a second, the exercise machine made it seem like a light jog to the soldier lost in time. Allen's past flashed before his eyes as his frustration increased. He could see every one of his brothers in arms fall at the hands of the Axis Powers, see the face of every foe he ever fought, and finally, he saw his fateful battle with the dreaded Anti-Watcher, whose destruction had caused him to hurtle through time and space until he finally reached the year 2016. An angered shout erupted from Captain Allen's mouth as bolts of lightning shattered the treadmill to bits.

With an exhausted sigh, Steve Allen stepped over to the next treadmill to restart his exercise. Steve almost punched the settings in before he noticed the tall, built figure watching him from the shadows. The figure stepped into the light to reveal herself as a middle-aged African American woman in a black trench coat and an eye patch over her left eye.

"Those things are expensive, you know." She said at last. "Captain Steve Allen, I'm Amanda Fury, Director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division."

"I know who you are ma'am." Steve replied as he stepped off of the treadmill. "Sergeant Jack Fury's daughter, right?"

"That's _correct_ , Captain. And I'd like you to help _me_ the same way you helped _him_." Amanda took out a manila folder from a pocket inside of her coat and handed it to the soldier. Steve opened it to reveal pictures of different men and women. "It's called the Justice Legion of Avengers Initiative. A program my father tried to start in the late 1950's. Believe it or not; a world without the Flag _scared_ him."

Steve flipped through page after page of different people in the folder, trying to determine whether what he saw was true or not. Back during the war, the Flag fought with the Human Lantern, Aqua the Sub-Mariner, Hyperman, and his best friend Wally Barnes, the newspapers called them the Justice Society of Invaders. But this younger generation of heroes was questionable at best.

"What does Kent think about this?" Steve asked.

"Hyperman is all for it." Amanda smiled. "It seems that running into _you_ after seventy-something years has given him a new lease on life."

Steve looked down at the pictures once again with a skeptic look on his face. "How can you be sure that these people can work as a team?"

"Because getting people to act outside of their own self-interests is what I _do_ for a living. I may not be a fancy super soldier, but if you come with me, I'll show you a few surprises."

"With all due respect ma'am," Steve handed the folder back to Amanda, "I just traveled through time from World War II into the twenty-first century. I doubt there's anything that you can do that'll surprise me."

"Ten bucks says you're wrong…" Director Fury joked before realizing the super speedster still wasn't interested. He was about to walk out the door when she called out to him. "Captain Allen… _Steve_ , we _need_ you. The _world_ needs you. And I don't plan on making the same mistakes my father made."

In the blink of her eye, Amanda was now face to face with Captain Allen. Fury had served in Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq without the slightest trace of fear, but the gust of wind that Allen created sent a chill up her spine. At least now she had confirmed that the Flag's breath-taking speed was still intact.

"What are you talking about?" Allen's voice went deep and intimidating as his body continued to vibrate intensely.

With a deep sigh, Fury pulled another folder out of her trench coat and handed it to Allen. The folder contained a photo of a young man and several forms describing the details of Project: Flag Rebirth. The man shared several physical traits to Steve, except that his hair was black, his eyes were brown, and an unpleasant scowl spread across his face.

"His name was Zolomon Walker." Fury stated. "He was crippled in a police shooting after ten years on the force. My father offered to not only give him the ability to walk again, but to make him as fast as you are." Fury took the folder from Steve and flipped to a picture of a glowing blue cube. "I'm sure you remember the Cosmic Cube?"

"I remember that it caused plenty of _damage_ …" Steve grumbled. "I thought that the Cosmic Cube was _destroyed_."

"That's what the government _wanted_ you to think. The truth is, my father convinced your friend Howard Jordan to try and unlock its secrets. He thought that one of those secrets would be Patricia Erskine's super-soldier formula." Fury looked at the ground as if she were a child being scolded. "They thought they had finally created a copy of the formula to turn Walker into a new Flag; a _U.S_. _Accelerator_ What they _got_ was a super-fast psychopath who disappeared shortly afterwards, but not before he killed fifty-two staff members, twenty-seven police officers, and one hundred-plus civilians."

Steve looked at the photographs and the files of the initiates one more time before looking at Fury. Perhaps this was his second chance. He may not have been able to go back to his own time, so why not establish a new one in this time? Suddenly, an alarm sounded from Fury's pocket, she took it out to see that an armed robbery was in progress not too far from them. Before she could even look up, another gust of wind blew the doors of the gymnasium open, leaving Director Fury alone.

"Show off…"

As Steve raced down the streets of Central City, New York at five hundred miles per hour, he removed the circular shield from his back. Pressing a button on the star emblem opened a secret compartment, revealing a blue bodysuit with red gloves, red boots, and a red mask. Red and white stripes wrapped around his abdomen, and to complete the look, a white star with a lightning bolt in the center was proudly located on the chest.

The Flag reduced his speed once he caught up with the robbers. Much to his shock, they plowed through the vehicles in front of them just to get away. Acting quickly, the Flag dashed ahead of them and began to move the civilians out of their cars and rush them to the safety of the sidewalk. Next, the Flag gathered up fragments of glass from the shattered car windows and laid them out in front of the robbers' car tires.

The car screeched to a halt, leaving the criminals temporarily disoriented. They reached for their weapons and exited the car, randomly firing in every direction. Many of the civilians screamed in terror before the shooting ceased and nobody was harmed. The Flag suddenly appeared right in front of the robbers and opened his hand. Before anyone knew it, the surrounding area was filled with the sound of light metal tapping the ground. The Flag had caught all of the bullets in mid-air, just to get back into shape.

"We surrender." The criminals chimed in unison as they dropped their weapons.

"Music to my ears." The Flag smirked. At the sound of the approaching sirens, the Flag dashed back towards the gymnasium. But Director Fury had already left. The only remaining trace of her was the two manila folders along with a note.

 _Let me know when you decide. 555-6789_

* * *

 **The Next Day**

Steve tightened his grip on the strap that held his shield onto his back. He checked to make sure that the cost was clear before he finally entered what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. As he closed the door behind him, he was suddenly greeted by the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. She was dressed in a white skin-tight suit with black boots and gloves. Her body was in peak physical condition, her red hair hung down past her shoulders, and her green eyes sparkled as she extended her hand to greet the super-soldier.

"I'm Sharon West, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." Her voice was just as beautiful. "Are you Captain Allen?"

"I... um, uh…" Steve never really knew how to answer that question. All he could do was give a firm nod as he tried his best not to blush. This woman was absolutely _stunning_.

After the introductions, Agent West led Steve to the back of the warehouse, where they entered a secluded elevator. Once the doors were closed, a bright green light passed over them and a metallic feminine voice came from the speaker.

 _Identities confirmed: Agent West, Sharon; Captain Allen, Steven_

"That's Aya," Sharon explained, "an A.I. invented by one of your new teammates; Mr. Tony Jordan."

As the elevator descended, Steve saw dozens of scientists and soldiers rushing around the premises. Steve was colored impressed; the laboratory of Dr. Erskine never had any equipment like this. When they finally reached the bottom, Steve jumped in surprise at the person who was waiting for them.

Hanging from a thin cable was a young man in a blue body-suit with a red lightning bolt running down from his shoulders to the top of his abdomen. He wore a red mask that covered half of his head, leaving his long brown hair exposed. The only facial features that anyone could see were his eyes covered by large, transparent goggles.

"Whoa… you're really _here!_ " the young man let go of the cable and flipped onto the ground. "It's true what Firehawk said; the Flag is joining our team!"

"Flag, this is Speedster-Man." Agent West introduced with a smile. "We brought him onboard because he shows powers similar to yours. We were hoping you'd be able to mentor him. Your assignment for today is to get to know him better, because if you agree to be a part of this, you'll be seeing him _very often_."

"I've heard about you." Steve said with a cocked eyebrow. "Aren't you a little _young_ to be involved in something as dangerous as this, son?"

"He's only a _reserve_ member, Flag." Sharon explained. "He's part of a special program that trains those with super-powers who are underage."

"And _besides_ …" Speedster-Man waved his hand. "I've fought _plenty_ of bad guys already! I've even _captured_ them and left 'em for the cops!"

"Hmm… I accept." Steve smiled. "Meet me outside at approximately fifteen hundred hours. I'll be in my street clothes."

"Yes sir!" Speedster-Man leapt into the air out of the excitement.

"We'll see what he's made of…" Steve turned to face Sharon as Speedster-Man rushed off. "Hopefully, I'll get to see him become the kind of man this team will need. And hopefully, I'll see you again soon, Agent West…"

"Uh, well, I'm not exactly joining the _team_ ," Sharon said, "but we'll definitely see each other again."

As Sharon walked away to attend her regular duties, Steve couldn't help but watch as her hips swung back and forth with every step she took. Blushing brightly, Steve forced himself to block out the dirty thoughts that went through his head. The Flag needed to be a symbol for the American Dream, he didn't need any distractions.

Later outside of the base, Steve was greeted by a young man with the same hair and voice of Speedster-Man. He appeared to be no older than fifteen, and his voice cracked every time he spoke too quickly, Steve assumed that was his way of concealing his identity.

"Hi, we met inside, I'm Bart Parker…" Bart extended his hand to greet the speeding super-soldier.

"Steve Allen." Steve shook his hand, returning the greeting. "If what I've heard about you is true, we should get along just fine."

"So, you've read about me in the papers?" Bart grumbled. Ever since he first became Speedster-Man, the infamous W. Walter White, publisher of the Daily Times, had been trying to convince New York that Speedster-Man was a menace. If the Flag had actually read anything that the newspapers said, he was going to be hard on the young hero-in-training.

"I have read the papers, yes," Steve began as they started to walk down the street, "then I started talking to the _real people_. The police, the firemen, and the people you save. They've told me how you rush head on into danger to help anyone you can. How you save people without asking for reward, praise, or even thanks. It doesn't matter what the publishers or the politicians say just to get people on their side, the real people of this city know who you really are, and now I do, too. So, I know that I can count on you to work with me to improve this great country, and fight for the dream I've always had for it."

For a moment, Bart didn't speak; he just lingered on every word Steve had said. Finally, he smiled brightly and spoke in a genuine tone. "Okay, forget the mentorship program… can I just go on ahead and be your full-time side-kick?"

Steve smirked at the boy's grateful smile as the continued to walk. Bart had never heard anyone express so much faith in him before joining S.H.I.E.L.D. His Aunt Joan and Uncle Jay used to tell him stories about the Flag, but getting the chance to actually meet him had proven to be a worthwhile experience. Suddenly, Bart froze in his tracks as a familiar sensation buzzed in his head.

"Steve, look out!" Bart tackled Steve to the ground as an explosion shook the entire street. The civilians screamed in horror as they fled from the source of the explosion. Standing in the middle of the street, was a man dressed in a purple body-suit covered by a purple parka. His face was concealed by a skin-tight mask, and he held a strange gun in his hand. Pointing the gun at a nearby car, he pulled the trigger, sending a stream of blue energy directly at the vehicle. In an instant, the car began to freeze over until the compression caused it to explode.

"Flag, my old foe!" the villain bellowed. "I know you're here somewhere! Come out, and face the man you didn't have the stomach to kill before! Come out, and face the wrath of Baron Zero!"

"It's not possible…" Steve muttered as he looked upon his old foe.

 **To be continued…**


	2. Flag Family part 2

**I'm not dead! Cancel the funeral! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've just been busy. BTW, anything in means it's in a different language.**

 **Chapter I: The Flag Family Part 2**

* * *

Agent Sharon West sat in the mess hall, staring at her food as she pondered Captain Allen's attitude earlier. Much to her delight, Agent Romanoff sat down next to her. Agent Selina Romanoff, codename: The Black Cat was once one of Russia's most talented thieves, a reputation that soon caught the attention of Director Fury. Sharon brought Selina into S.H.I.E.L.D. where she quickly became a valued agent, and a good friend.

"Hey, baby," Selina spoke in a cheerful voice into her phone, "mommy's going to be home late tonight, but she'll make it up to you! Yes, she _will!_ Bye, bye, sweetie!"

"Since when do you have a kid?" Sharon cocked a curious eyebrow.

"What? No, I was talking to Isis." Selina replied as she hung up.

"… Your _cat?_ "

"Yes, _my_ _cat_." Selina retorted obnoxiously. "What's it to you?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Selina, I'm just… already a little confused today…"

"About what?" Selina rested her head on her palms as she listened closely.

"Well, I was showing Captain Allen around and-"

" _You_ got to spend time with _the Flag!?_ " Selina smiled brightly. " _You_ spent time with the most perfect soldier in the world?! The man who can break the sound barrier in _military boots?!_ You know, I heard he has _personally_ knocked out Adolf Hitler! And sent Hideki Tojo flying for ten yards by _literally_ kicking his ass! And not to _mention_ , he kicked Benito Mussolini in the nuts!"

"Can I finish?" Sharon held up her palms in annoyance. "Or are you going to continue with your tales of wartime heroes kicking Japanese asses and Italian nuts?"

"Right, sorry!" Selina stopped talking and continued to listen.

"And, anyway, he was acting kind of strange. But, it wasn't about the base, really, he just seemed kinda… _focused_ whenever he looked at _me_. It was like he was _expecting_ me to do something… and when he spoke to me he seemed so _flustered_."

"When was the last time you had a boyfriend?" Selina's smile got a bit wider.

"I don't know…" Sharon shrugged. "High school, I guess. What does _that_ have to do with _anything_ I've just said?"

"Because he _wants you_ , Sharon!" Selina nearly burst out laughing. "He wants to 'star-spangle' your 'banner!'"

"Wh-what?!" Sharon blushed brightly, looking around to see if anyone heard Selina's comment. "H-he does _not!_ "

"Whoa! Calm down, you don't have to be a prude about it."

Sharon growled furiously. But as she thought about what Selina had said, the more it started to make sense to her. Sharon's aunt had served alongside the Flag in the final stages of World War II, and she always described him as a man with a strong moral compass, and someone who would give his life for anyone.

When she was first assigned to welcome him into S.H.I.E.L.D., she decided to look into Captain Allen's background. What she read had nearly broken her down to tears. She couldn't imagine that any man who had lost their parents at such an early age could have possibly grown into the kindred spirit she had seen in him. Not to mention how he suffered from a list of painful ailments that weakened his body before the serum. He had lost many friends during the war, and any who had lived would have been deceased today. In a time that was decades ahead of his own, Captain Allen could certainly use someone to comfort him. Sharon pondered this for a while before turning back to Selina.

"Do you really think that he likes me?"

"Why don't you find out for yourself?" Selina smiled coyly.

"What do you mean?"

"Okay, I helped out Emerald Man when he was fighting Blacklash a few weeks ago, so he owes me one. Here's the plan…"

* * *

But as Selina and Sharon plotted quietly in the mess hall, a more important event was taking place on the streets of New York City. Steve Allen removed his shield from behind his back and tapped the star on the center. In an instant, the Flag rushed the nearby citizens out of the way of Baron Zero's cold-blasts. Once everyone was safe, the Flag took cover behind a car and called out to his longtime foe.

"How are you still alive, Zero?!"

"I take it you recall our last battle in Germany, Captain?" The Flag's mind suddenly darted back to 1944. Leonard Zemo was a brilliant criminal scientist in Germany, whose only reason for working alongside the Nazi party was to feel the rush of being hunted by the Allied Forces. Once the Flag appeared, he decided to level the playing field. Zemo theorized that in order to counter the Flag's speed, he would need to find a way to slow down the molecules in the air around him. After running several tests alongside his fellow Nazi scientist Arnim DeVoe, Zemo invented a weapon that could actually stop the vibrations in the air, causing them to reach absolute zero and freeze over. With this new weapon, Zemo crafted a colorful costume and became Baron Zero.

The Flag and Baron Zero had battled each other multiple times until Zero invented a dangerous liquid that would have the same affects as his cold gun. The Flag and Zero entered their most intense battle yet, with Zero having gained the upper hand. But just as Zero was about to blast the Flag, Allen's faithful side-kick, Kid-Flag, threw Allen's shield in front of the blast, saving his life. The Flag threw the shield at Zero, hitting the vat containing the liquid and causing it to splash onto Zero's mask.

The Flag was brought back to the present by the sound of another one of Zero's blasts. "That chemical did more than to just adhere this mask to my face, Captain; it has also slowed my aging process down tenfold! I am now practically _immortal!_ "

"Good! Then you won't mind the life-sentence!" Speedster-Man swung from one of his cables and kicked Zero to the ground.

"How dare you interrupt my revenge?!" Zero fired at the underage hero in a blind fury, making it easier for the young hero to evade every blast.

"Man, I usually have to really focus to dodge all my other bad guys," Speedster-Man quipped, "but your aim is _seriously_ off!"

" _His_ might be… _mine_ isn't." Just as Speedster-Man's instinctive warning system kicked in, a strong blast of hot air knocked him from his cable onto the street. Standing before him was a tall man dressed in a white, full-body suit with orange boots and goggles. He wore bulky gauntlets on both of his wrists that were connected by tubes to a metal backpack. The man raised his arms in Speedster-Man's direction and cackled as they began to glow. " _This_ is why they call me _The Blazer!_ "

Two streams of fire hurled towards Speedster-Man. Luckily, he was able to roll out of the way in a split second. "Hate to rain on your parade, hot-shot," Speedster-Man quipped, "but you're not the _first_ guy who thought they could kill me, and I _doubt_ you'll be the _last!_ " Landing on his palms, Speedster-Man propelled himself so that he kicked Blazer in the jaw. Unfortunately, Blazer's costume seemed to do more than to just make him stand out in a crowd; Speedster-Man was hit with a powerful heat wave that knocked him into a car.

"How do ya like _them apples_ , Wall-Runner?" Blazer laughed at Speedster-Man's expense. "Every time you try to hit me, my suit will release a concentrated heat shield that protects me! So, _that means_ gettin' rid of you is gonna be… a _blast!_ "

Speedster-Man dodged another heat blast and huddled next to the Flag behind the car. As the temperature themed villains continued to blast the heroes' cover with fire and ice, an idea popped into Flag's head.

"Speedster-Man, what's your top speed?"

"I-I don't know, maybe, a hundred miles per hour?"

"Good enough, here's the plan." The Flag whispered into Speedster-Man's ear. The two heroes smiled confidently at each other and set their plan into motion. Speedster-Man rushed into the open, taunting the Blazer.

"Hey, dry-heat, hit me with your best shot!" The fiery mercenary furiously targeted the cocky teenager. Meanwhile, the Flag went in the other direction to draw fire from Zero. Finally, when both villains were facing away from each other, the Flag gave the signal. Speedster-Man flicked his wrist, sending a small, metallic ball at Blazer's arm. At the same time, the Flag threw his shield at Zero's cold-gun. The blasts of their weapons collided with each other in the air, and with a thunderous explosion, both villains lay on the ground in defeat.

Blazer was unconscious, but Baron Zero lightly chuckled as he looked up at the Flag. "I blame myself for this. How could I _ever_ forget that the speeding soldier of America prefers to run _relay?_ So tell me; is this _child_ the new Kid-Flag?" Steve sneered at his oldest foe as the police arrived. "The war goes on, Captain."

After the police took the villains away, several news reporters appeared on the scene.

"Uh, oh." Speedster-Man gulped, "The media doesn't really like me, we'll meet later." And with that, Speedster-Man swung away on one of his cables. The reporters surrounded the Flag, asking him so many questions all at once.

"How does it feel to be among the living again-?"

"Will you be returning to the military any time soon-?"

"Will you take an active role in solving the muta-human problem-?"

"Wait, the muta-what?" Flag finally answered.

"The _muta-humans_." The reporter explained. "Beings with extraordinary abilities who are putting normal humans in danger on a daily basis."

"Well, this is honestly the first of heard of this problem," Flag said at last, "but, uh, I assure you that I will see that it is taken care of as quickly as possible."

"Will it be hard for you to return to action without your side-kick, Kid-Flag?" another reporter chimed in. But Flag didn't answer, he just gave a grim expression and rushed away.

Speedster-Man and the Flag met up in an alley to change back into their street clothes. Bart was fiddling with a camera he had hidden before he entered the fight. The pictures that it captured would be delivered to W. Walter White at the Daily Times, and most likely used to discredit Speedster-Man. But it helped Aunt Joan pay the bills, so he couldn't really complain.

Steve sulked as they continued towards Queens. Bart deduced that this sudden change in mood was brought on by something that Baron Zero had said to him. After a long period of uncomfortable silence, Bart spoke up.

"I-uh, I understand it might be something you don't feel comfortable discussing," Steve turned his head slightly to acknowledge the young boy, "but, uh, who's Kid-Flag?"

Steve sighed deeply. "Kid-Flag was a stow-away on the ship that took the Allied troops and I into Europe. His name was Wallace Barnes. We called him 'Wally.' He got hit by a stray bullet when we got to Normandy; I rushed him to a hospital, hoping they'd be able to help. The doctors said he needed a blood transfusion, and as fate would have it, he and I shared the same blood-type. What I didn't expect to happen was him getting the same powers I had. He was my best friend."

For a moment, Steve smiled as he saw the humor in finding a best friend who was nearly half his own age. But his smile faded away as his mind became clouded with another memory.

"So, what happened to him?" Bart stammered.

"Zoom…" Steve replied gravely, " _Zoom_ happened to him…"

The Red Zoom was one of Hitler's elite generals during the war. He had come out of nowhere, utilizing the exact same powers that the Flag had to slaughter the Allied Forces. Hitler used that to his advantage, employing the enigmatic Nazi as a personal assassin. The only one who could ever counter Red Zoom was the Flag, himself. In the waning years of the war, Flag and Kid-Flag had tracked Zoom to an off-site laboratory in Eastern Germany.

Zoom had created a bomb that would fly over to Washington, D.C., and reduce the White House to rubble. The Flag leapt onto the remote-controlled plane, unaware that Kid-Flag was close behind. Flag had disabled the plane's guidance systems but Kid-Flag's leg was caught. Flag fell off of the plane where he was saved by Hyperman. The last thing he saw before blacking out, was his best friend saluting him as the plane exploded.

Bart felt bad for Steve. "Well, I think that you owe it to him, then, to fight on." He tried to find the right words. "So that his death wasn't in vain, right?"

"You're right, Bart," Steve said at last, "I won't let Wally's death be in vain. He was a good soldier, and a better friend, but the war goes on."

After Bart left for Queens, Steve continued to walk down the street until he came upon a smartly dressed man. He had brown hair with a goatee, a green ring on his middle finger, and an air force pendant over his breast. Steve recognized this man almost instantly as he extended his hand to greet him. "Mr. Jordan."

"Captain." Tony Jordan replied. "It's good to finally meet you. My father used to talk about you all the time." Tony put his right arm over Steve's shoulders as he led them down a different sidewalk. "Now, if you'll follow me, I've got a little surprise for you."

 **Five minutes later:**

"When I heard that you hadn't found a place to live yet, I couldn't believe it." Tony's voice was calm and collected as he smiled eagerly. "Now, just because you'll be employed by S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't mean that you should have to live there, so I thought maybe I'd lend a hand."

Finally, they reached an apartment complex in Central City, just outside of Brooklyn. When they came to the right door, Tony handed Steve the key. Steve could hardly believe it; the apartment was fully furnished with everything you could find in the 1940's. "I tried to keep it as close as I could to the right time period. I hope you like it."

"Mr. Jordan, this is too much." Steve breathed as he looked back at the high-flying philanthropist.

"That time you and Hyperman were at odds with one-another?" Tony reminded the veteran. "When you were supposed to be over-seas instead of stopping crime here, you saved my mother from a reckless driver. This is the _least_ I can do."

"Well, thank you, Tony. I really appreciate this." Steve shook Tony's hand and the multi-millionaire walked out the door, tapping the neighbor's door on his way out. Steve looked around the room several times before he heard a soft voice coming from the doorway.

"Captain Allen?"

"Agent West…" Steve was transfixed. Sharon was now wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt that must have been one size too large for her. "Please, uh, come in."

Sharon stepped inside and sat down on the sofa. She cupped her hands together as she tried to think of what to say next. Steve sat down next to her, trying to offer any comfort he could. At last, Sharon spoke up.

"I understand that you've been through a lot these last few days," she stammered, "but, whenever I think about you, I can't help but _admire_ everything about you. Your _spirit_ , your _persistence_ , your _courage_ , I just… I'd like to get to know you better. If you'd be willing?"

"Um…" Steve's mind was literally thinking at light-speed as he considered her offer. Sure, the Flag had to be a shining example for America, but that didn't mean that Steve Allen needed to live his life alone. During the war, he never really gave much thought as to what he'd do when he gotten back to America. Most women had ignored him before the super-serum and the lightning, but there was something about Sharon that drew him to her. His smile appeared to brighten Sharon's mood. "I'd like that."

"Great," She said happily, "We can meet at the diner down the street tomorrow morning before we go to work, and it'll also give you a chance to meet another neighbor I think you'd really like to meet."

"That sounds like fun." Steve agreed. The soldier hugged his newest companion before she left. He felt a little better now. Perhaps starting a relationship would help him adjust to his new life. He watched her enter her apartment before he closed his door.

Suddenly, a bright light followed by a deafening boom knocked Steve down. The speeding soldier was awestruck, a vortex of light hovered in the center of his living room. As he instinctively reached for his shield, he heard a voice cry out.

" _Steeeeeeeve!"_

A man dressed in a leather coat reached through the vortex. He wore dark goggles over his eyes and a mask covered up his mouth. The only visible feature that Steve could make out was the man's red hair. But to Steve's surprise, the man in black managed to take another step forward, revealing his left leg was made entirely out of metal. Again, the mysterious figure cried out.

" _Steve! Listen to me! You were right about him! He was the one who's ruined everything! You have to stop him! You have to stop him!"_

Steve was confused; who was this person and how did he know he was the Flag?

" _What's wrong?! Don't you recognize me?! Wait… am I? Oh, God! I'm too early! Wait, no! Steve, please! Find me! You have to find me! You're the only one who can save me! Please-!"_

The light began to fade away until the vortex was completely gone. Steve stood up silently, replaying the incident in his head until he gave an appropriate response: "What the hell was _that?_ "

* * *

 **To be continued…!**

 **The muta-humans! (Meta-humans/Mutants) Please forgive me for my choices in character as I blend the Teen Titans/Doom Patrol with members of the X-Men, since; A.) Some of them won't be mutants or meta-humans in canon, B.) There will be very few of them, and C.) Some of them will be similar to what other people on the internet will have come up with! Plus, be on the lookout for the next chapter of Stephanie Universe!**


	3. Goddess of Thunder part 1

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've just been really busy. See, the thing is… I really have to study for the Work keys Placement Tests if I want to get into an apprenticeship and become a Union Welder. So, I probably won't be updating as much as I'd like to. But, here's how it's going to be with this story, I'm going to introduce the top five heroes of the Justice Legion of America along with their designated protégés (we've already seen The Flag with Speedster-Man) and then, they'll all band together to face a common foe! And from then on, It'll pretty much be just like real comic book plotlines (mostly parodies because I'm not that original). So, without further ado, get ready to** _ **journey into sensation**_ **with… THUNDER WOMAN!**

 **Chapter II: The Goddess of Thunder part 1**

* * *

Long ago, when mankind was still young, a race of shape-shifting aliens came to our galaxy to colonize. These beings studied the indigenous life-forms that populated our planet, using their advanced physiology to take the forms of human deities. The royalties of these races divided their kingdoms into three groups: Zeus, King of Olympus; Jupiter, Master of the Pantheon; and Odin, Lord of Asgard.

The three royalties created their kingdoms high above Earth's atmosphere, hidden from the humans using a combination of technology and sorcery. In order to maintain peace among the kingdoms, the royalties agreed on one law: They would never interfere with each others' affairs. For a time, these "gods" had enjoyed toying with the lives of mere mortals, but as time went on, their influence faded, and new gods took their place. Zeus of Olympus became angered with this, and began to lash out at his lesser Olympians.

Hippolyta, leader of a sub-faction of Olympians dubbed the Amazons, denounced her Olympian heritage and led her sisters away from the bitter King. But the Earth was no longer a world she new. In the Olympians' ignorance they had failed to witness the mortals' advances in culture and technology. The Amazons felt more alone than they ever had.

Until at last, Odin of Asgard took pity on the Amazons and offered them safe haven in his kingdom. The Amazons quickly adapted to life in Asgard, growing fond of the Asgardians' sense of warrior spirit and lust for combat. As a token of gratitude for Odin's good will, Hippolyta took enchanted clay and molded it into the form of a child, then offered it to Odin to be his heiress. Odin happily accepted her offer and used his advanced powers to bring the clay into life. Thus was born, Diana of Asgard.

As Diana grew up, she became amazed with the lives of mortal men and women, wanting to learn more about them. Yearning for a day when she could become a part of their world. Unfortunately, both Odin and Hippolyta forbid her from ever venturing to the mortal plane, claiming that the mortals were selfish and evil by nature. As Diana continued to view mortals from afar, she saw that her parents were not necessarily incorrect; the mortals fought, they killed, they betrayed one another, and for what? Why did these mortals hate each other so fiercely? What drove them to such hatred that they would kill their own kind?

But on the eve of her twenty-first birthday, Princess Diana began to see a slight change in human behavior. Those who did not have power, those who were often trod upon, began to feel something other than hatred or rage; hope. Hope for a better world, hope for a time when fighting wasn't necessary, hope for peace. The source of this hope came from four legendary heroes; a mortal with speed to rival Mercury's, a living automation shrouded I green flame, an amphibious king who led a legion beneath the sea, and a mortal-raised alien with powers worthy of the gods.

Unfortunately, they too were betrayed and killed by their own people. But their example lived on, inspiring others to use their special powers to fight in the name of justice. Diana longed to fight beside them, to be a guiding conscience for the mortal heroes. And, as fate would have it, she soon got her chance.

The mortal's name was John Foster, an American soldier engaged in a war against Vietnam. His plane was caught in a storm of magical origins, leading him away from his course and into the realm of Asgard. John Foster was met with fierce hostility at first, but Lord Odin loved the mortals too much to allow an accident to start a war. After conversing with Hippolyta, Odin resolved to allow one Asgardian to take John Foster back to Earth and act as an ambassador for Asgard.

In order to decide which Asgardian would take on this role, Hippolyta organized a competition for the finest Asgardian warriors, testing their strength, wisdom, and worthiness. The winner would be granted an enchanted suit of armor and Mjolnir, the legendary hammer of truth. Diana, eager to visit the mortals' world entered the contest and surpassed every trial. While saddened, her mother allowed her to be a new champion for the mortals. The armor included an invincible breastplate, connected to a long, leather skirt, armored leggings, two unbreakable gauntlets, and a winged helmet.

At last Odin presented his daughter with the mighty Mjolnir and cast a special enchantment: "Whosoever wields this hammer, if they be worthy, shall posses the power of… the THUNDER WOMAN."

Diana returned John Foster to America, where he took her to the United Nations. It was here that Diana explained her understandings of the mortal world and offered to help lead it to a better existence. Adopting the surname "Blake", Diana would live among the mortals as a mild-mannered doctor by day, but whenever she was needed as Thunder Woman, she would call upon Mjolnir and spring into action.

Over the years, she began to meet the mortals with great power, such as Hyperman and Aqua, the Sub-Mariner. But now, in the year 2016, Thunder Woman has been given a chance to work with more super-powered beings, while also training the one she has come to call her "little sister."

* * *

 **New York City, Downtown Manhattan.**

Absorba, the Expandable Absorbing Woman, was a former scientist who had used her research on herself to grant her extraordinary abilities. Now she could expand her body up to fifty times its own mass or change her molecular structure into anything she touched. She had been a consistent thorn in Thunder Woman's side for many years, using her powers to commit some of the most atrocious crimes in history.

But now, Absorba was clashing with an orange-skinned, teenage version of Thunder Woman. This teenager violently swung her axe at the fifty-foot woman until she was caught in Absorba's clutches.

"And who _exactly_ are you supposed to be?" Absorba chuckled as she tightened her grip on the orange girl. "Thunder _Baby?_ Thunder _Brat?_ The _Orange Thunder?_ "

Suddenly, a bright thunderbolt struck Absorba in the chest, causing her to let go of the girl. Next, the girl struck Absorba in the chin, causing the villainess to stumble backwards into an apartment complex.

"Spare me your foul words mortal!" The powerful girl bellowed. "You do not face a common girl today! On this day, you now face the wrath of _Delta-Ray Donna!_ "

Absorba felt the crumbling bricks beneath her flesh, smirking evilly as she absorbed the molecular structure. Now, her skin appeared to be made entirely out of solid granite. She struck the young heroine with a mighty blow, and Delta-Ray Donna fell to the ground, shattering the street beneath her. But the mighty teenager smiled, swung her axe, and flew back into the air. This time, Donna plowed her way straight through Absorba's stomach.

Absorba buckled, gagged, and looked down at her body in horror. Her body was now crumbling to pieces onto the street. Donna slowly descended to the ground, still smiling smugly as she heard sirens approaching from the distance. The mortal law-enforcers got out of their vehicles and drew their weapons.

"No need to thank me, mortals," Donna boasted, "This villainess shall no longer endanger-"

"Put your hands in the air!" One officer ordered.

Donna was shocked. The officers were pointing their weapons at her. She had just stopped a criminal and yet she was the one being persecuted. Next, a group of men dressed in suits showed up in a dark panel van arrived and spoke to the law officers. An older man in a green military uniform walked up to Donna and motioned for her to follow him. The orange Amazon did as she was told, watching the men in suits gather up pieces of Absorba as she shouted out loud about police brutality and knowing her rights. The military man placed Donna in the passenger side of his car and they drove away.

For a moment, nothing was said. Until, at last, the man looked at Donna with a hint of malice in his eyes. "Young lady…" He said, ominously. "You're in a _lot_ of trouble."

* * *

 **Three Hours Later**

"Are you fucking _stupid?!_ " Amanda Fury shouted at Donna furiously. Donna had been brought back to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, and was now sitting in a small room with nothing but a table and two chairs. She still did not understand her persecution, but based on Director Fury's tone, she thought she was about to. "I have told _you_ and all the other super-powered _rug rats_ in this program that you are not yet suited for combat! That's the whole _goddamn_ point of the program in the first place!"

"Director Fury?" a young, stocky woman entered through the door.

"WHAT!?"

"Um, Thunder Woman is here to speak with you."

"Ugh," Fury pinched the bridge of her nose. "No doubt to try and bail this little brat out of this. Fine. Major Foster?"

"Yes, Director?" The man in the military uniform from earlier stepped into the room.

"Please, feel free to continue educating Thunder Girl while I talk to the Amazon."

"With _pleasure_." As Fury stepped out of the room, the military man sat down at the opposite end of the table. Now, Donna had a better chance to look at him. For a man of his age, he was very muscular, and his face was only slightly wrinkled, his hair was dark with only a few grey hairs on the sides of his head. But his amber eyes stayed locked onto Donna with a fiery gaze.

"Young lady, my name is Major Foster." He said at last.

"Foster?" Donna said in surprise. "As in _John_ Foster? But, you were friends with my sister!"

"What of it?" He said bluntly.

"Well… why are you treating me like this? I stopped a criminal!"

"Yeah, you sure _did_." Foster scoffed. "And in doing so you caused almost half a million dollars worth of property damage. I don't care if you are a…" Foster opened a manila folder with papers that Donna could safely assume were about her as he read them out loud. "An alien life-form from a utopian society _similar_ to Asgard, born to one day become a guardian of the people, but was given the opportunity to study under Thunder Woman after proving to be worthy of wielding her enchanted hammer."

"Exactly!" Donna exclaimed. "I aided Thunder Woman in her time of need! In doing so I proved myself worthy of wielding the power of a god! All I want is to prove myself!"

"That doesn't change the fact that you broke the law." Foster said sternly. "This government agreed to give you 'super-heroes' the right to keep your identities secret and help us enforce the law, but only under the condition that you work _with_ us, not _above_ us! And today, all you _proved_ is that you are _headstrong_ , _unprofessional_ , and _reckless_. And mark my words; no matter what the Director decides to do with you, I will _not_ be going easy on you. I don't _care_ who your sister is."

As if on cue, the door opened again. Major Foster sighed heavily and got up. He turned around and now faced a slender, yet muscular, woman. Thunder Woman stood at least a foot taller than John as they kept a short distance apart from each other. Diana slightly leaned over to give Donna a stern look.

"Hi, Diana…" Donna said sheepishly.

Diana returned her attention to Major Foster. " _John_ ," she smiled. "You're looking as _strapping_ as ever."

"Cut the bull shit, princess." Foster crossed his arms. "You were supposed to have your little girl registered today."

"We were _about_ to… but she got distracted. And while I understand that she must answer for her rash behavior, and she _shall_ , it must be on my terms. So, if you and Director Fury are willing to drop the charges _just this once_ , I shall take _full responsibility_ for her actions."

Foster cocked an eyebrow as Thunder Woman went on. "And, of course, pay for the damages she caused."

"… _Fine_ " Foster groaned. He unlocked Donna's handcuffs and let her walk away with her teacher. As she left, Foster motioned with his hand that he would be keeping an eye on her. Donna mockingly copied his gesture, leaving him confused and annoyed.

After retrieving her axe, Donna flew into the sky with Diana. "Sister, I can explain."

"No," Diana said. " _I_ will explain."

Diana led her alien sister into the Earth's atmosphere. Once they were high enough, Diana spoke again. "Why do you think that you were arrested today, Donna?"

"I don't _know!_ All I did was stop a criminal! One of your worst enemies! Why is that wrong?!"

"Because you did not take into account for all of the mortals who might have gotten hurt in your battle. These mortals are not like us, Donna. They are fragile and easily hurt. It is good that you want to help this world just as you wanted to help your people, but you must take account as to the impact your actions cause. Do you understand?"

Donna considered. She wanted to stay angered at Director Fury and Major Foster for their harsh words, but her sister had a point. In truth, she didn't think about the consequences of fighting an enemy around so many innocent mortals. She hung her head as she gave her reply. "I'm sorry, Diana. I have failed you."

"No, you haven't." Diana chuckled. "You just need a little guidance. Just remember what I told you, alright?"

"Yes, sister."

"Good. Now, let's go and register ourselves. And _this time_ , no _distractions_."

But as the two Asgardian Amazons returned to Earth, something appeared to tear through space right in front of them. The sisters were startled, readying their weapons for whatever would appear through the portal. To their surprise, numerous shadowy figures leaked through the tear, and burst into flames at the sight of the warriors. Back to back, they prepared to take the offensive before another figure appeared before them. This time it was a woman dressed in a cheetah-skin dress with black leggings and sleeves, and a green tiara to match her eyes.

"Minerva the Enchantress!" Thunder Woman snarled. "What threats have you brought to Earth _this time?_ "

"These are the shadow demons, sister…" Minerva cackled. "A friend of mine wishes for me to test _their_ might against _yours_."

"You wanted to prove yourself, Delta-Ray Donna?" Thunder Woman looked to her younger sister. "Well, now is your chance." The two sisters swung their weapons fiercely, and charged at the demons with all their might as they cried in unison.

"HAVE AT THEE!"

 **To be Continued!**


	4. Goddess of Thunder part 2

**Chapter II: Thunder Woman part 2**

* * *

 **A Few Minutes Ago:**

As Thunder Woman smoothed out the details of covering the damages in New York, Delta-Ray Donna was sulking outside the office. Earlier this morning, she had been excited, but right now she was just frustrated. She was supposed to have been registered to become a legal crime-fighter, but when she saw Absorba in the streets, she snuck away from her sister to confront the villainess alone. Now she had to wait for Thunder Woman before they could leave. To say that she was bored would have been an understatement.

"Oh, hello there!" Donna turned her head to face a plump young woman in a neat suit. "I haven't seen you around here, but based on your fashion sense, I take it you're with Thunder Woman?"

"She is my sister. I am Delta-Ray Donna." The alien teenager curtsied in greeting.

"Well, it's nice to meet you!" the young woman playfully copied the greeting. "My name is Darcy Candy. I'm an old friend of your sister _and_ Major Foster's secretary."

"What is a 'secretary'?" Donna tilted her head slightly.

"Well, it means I go where he tells me to go, and I do what he tells me to do." Darcy shrugged.

"What?" Donna looked shocked and disgusted. "Well, where I come from that's called _'slavery'_."

"No, no, no, you don't understand," Darcy laughed. "Major Foster _pays me_ to do that. It's a _good job_ , really." Darcy turned her attention to the silhouettes behind the door. "Is Diana in there right now?"

"Yes." Donna replied. "She's talking to the Director Fury and Major Foster."

"It's a pity Hyperman isn't here," Darcy chuckled as she stirred her coffee, "everyone knows how much she _loves_ the Man of Tomorrow." Donna looked back at the mortal woman with interest.

"Really? My sister is smitten?"

"Oh, sweetheart, you should've been here last week!" Darcy playfully waved her hand as she gossiped. "The tension between those two is so thick you could cut it with a knife! You'll have to talk to her about it to get any real details. Maybe you'll even figure out what went wrong with her _last_ relationship!"

* * *

 **Now:**

Donna never got a chance to ask her sister about Hyperman. After she had been lectured on the importance of being cautious in public places, another of her sisters' enemies had attacked them. It was Minerva the Enchantress.

Amora Minerva was a Greek archeologist, studying ruins in South America. One fateful day, she came across an ancient sacrificial knife, supposedly blessed with the spirit of the cheetah. The native tribesmen warned her not to take the knife, but in her lust for knowledge, she ignored their pleas.

After bringing the knife back to America, she over-heard her benefactor plotting to fire her and take credit for her research. Enraged by this betrayal, Minerva took the knife home with her, planning to sell it on the black market. But one night, Minerva awoke to the sound of a voice coming from the knife.

It called to her, infecting her mind with promises of power and glory. Minerva became enchanted by the blade and carefully crested it in her palms. She gripped the hilt of the knife, and stabbed it into her chest. Green energy poured out from the dagger, infecting Minerva with the power of the cheetah. Fueled by her hatred and jealousy, Minerva's lust for knowledge was replaced with a lust for power.

As she learned more about the dark arts, she became more cunning and primal. She created a costume for herself, made from silk and cheetah skins. She had become Minerva the Enchantress.

She was currently surrounded by an armada of dark figures with flames erupting from their mouths. Thunder Woman and Delta-Ray Donna struck the demonic beasts with their mighty weapons, causing the fiery monsters to dissipate in a puff of smoke. At first, it seemed that the battle would not take long, but then the creatures swarmed together.

Minerva was now controlling the monsters like puppets, using her fingers to cast spells of control. The creatures fused themselves together, forming a giant shadow shrouded in mystic flames. The monstrosity took a deep breath and unleashed a maelstrom of hellish blaze.

The two warriors lifted their weapons in front of themselves, hoping to use their power to shield themselves from the blast. Under normal circumstances, the magic in their Uru weapons protect them from harm, but they soon realized that these were not normal circumstances. The flames collided with their bodies, sending the Asgardians hurtling out to space. Fortunately, they were able to regain their equilibriums.

"By Corben's four moons!" Donna cried out in surprise. "The magic in our weapons, sister, has it been neutralized?"

"Nay, Donna," Thunder Woman spoke grimly, "this is no ordinary magic Minerva possesses. This is something much _older_ than Uru. This is the work of something _god-like!_ "

Diana remembered the tales of before her adoptive brother used to tell her as a child, stories about the beginning, before the three alien races came to Earth. She remembered the tale of a fourth alien race that supposedly didn't survive the journey through space. One that was lead by a dictator so evil, he put Hades to shame. According to the legends, any sigh of this race's return would be a sure sign of the Apocalypse.

If the legends were indeed true, then these beasts were Shadow Blazes. Fortunately, Diana's brother also told her how to defeat them. Leading Donna to her side, she whispered her plan into the orange alien's ear. Momentarily splitting up, the Asgardian Amazons spun their mighty weapons above their heads. This began to create dual cyclones filled with flashing lightning. If not for the vacuum of space, every living being in the galaxy would have heard its thunderous roar.

The warriors combined the cyclones, creating a massive hurricane that moved closer and closer to the giant Shadow Blaze. With a righteous fury, the two Amazons cried out in unison.

"For Asgard!"

"For Corben!"

"For _Midgard!_ "

The Shadow Blaze was pulled into the giant whirlwind, quickly extinguishing the flames until it collapsed into nothingness. Once the beast was gone, Diana and Donna quickly dispersed the whirlwind before it could get too close to the Earth's atmosphere. Then, they both turned their full attention to Minerva. Just as the Enchantress was about to escape, Diana used Mjolnir to create a lasso of pure light, entrapping the cheetah-skinned witch.

"The power of Mjolnir compels you to tell the truth, Minerva," Diana began. "Who sent you here? Where did those beasts come from?"

Minerva's pupils dilated as the magic of Mjolnir began to influence her mind. At last, she spoke. "Your… sister… Circi… wanted to… test them for… her new… friend…"

"Who is this friend?"

"I… do not… know…"

Diana sighed. She gave Minerva a tap on the head with Mjolnir, knocking the Enchantress unconscious. She then threw her enemy onto her shoulder and turned to Donna. "We must take her back to Earth. There is a special detention center designed to hold prisoners like her."

* * *

A few minutes later, Donna saw what her sister meant. Just off of the coast of California was Stryker's Island, on it was a large metallic prison. Diana and Donna landed on the helipad and stepped towards the door. Diana entered a code into a computerized lock which opened the door to an elevator. The journeyed down for what felt like hours until they reached their desired level.

As Diana spoke with the warden of the facility, Donna saw two men in different holding cells. The first man was dressed in a purple body-suit covered by a parka. He was shouting angrily, and his breath froze each time he threatened to kill the guards when he would escape. The second man was dressed in an orange prisoner suit. He paid no attention to his neighbor as he calmly sat on his bunk, gazing at a lighter in his hand.

"Minerva has been taken care of." Donna turned to face her sister. "She's been placed in a special cell lined with nth metal."

"The one substance that can negate magic." Donna said in an impressed tone.

"Now, I want you to go back to S.H.I.E.L.D. and register yourself, while I go talk to Major Foster about what happened."

Donna frowned. "Better _you_ than _me_."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Diana cocked an eyebrow.

"After this morning? He surely hates me!"

"He doesn't _hate_ you…" Diana explained. "John grew up in a difficult time. His mother died when he was young, and his father had to take care of him by himself. But his father couldn't take the stress of being a single parent and trying to work, it eventually _killed_ him. John enlisted into the military and was forced to fight a war that America had no place in. He almost lost his life because of some people who were careless or selfish. As a result, once he gains an opinion of someone, it's very hard to change his mind."

Donna softened a little. Then Diana spoke again. "Besides, he's probably more upset that today's incident meant… running into _me_."

Donna was about to ask what she meant before a memory popped into her head. "Maybe you could find out what went wrong with her last relationship." Donna's eyes widened, her jaw went slack, and she clasped her hands together over her mouth as the realization set in. "It was Foster…"

"I beg your pardon?" Diana asked.

"It was Foster… And you. You and Foster! Foster and you! You two were lovers!"

"What?!" Diana blushed brightly. "Where did you get _that_ idea?"

"Ms. Candy!" Donna smiled smugly. Diana grumbled about having a chat with Darcy, but that didn't stop Donna from digging in. "So, the great Hyperman stole you away from him, eh? I'm surprised the Major didn't have him imprisoned."

"Oh, he _tried_. Several _times_." Diana deadpanned before putting on a serious face. "And, anyway, I only _flirt_ with Hyperman because it amuses me. His heart already belongs to another, we're just _good friends_. John and I… he was _special_ to me, but after a while we began to _drift apart_ from one another. He began to _age_ while I remained young, I will outlive him by centuries. And other than _that_ we just had different _goals_ in life and – wait, why am I even _telling_ you this?! It's none of your business! It all happened a _long_ time ago, and we've _moved past it!_ Now go back to S.H.I.E.L.D. and register yourself!"

Donna watched as her sister power-walked away from her. "Very well, I shall see you soon, Goddess of Heartbreak!" Donna chuckled as she flew back to the mainland.

Later that night, Diana found John at the local bar in on Gateway Street. At this point she had reverted to her human form, Diana Blake. She was dressed in a business skirt that covered her knees, a white blouse, and a pair of glasses. Mjolnir had taken the form of a walking stick, helping her to feign a medical problem in her leg. At a glance, no one would think that she was a mighty warrior.

She took a seat next to John, who was currently staring into a half-empty glass of ginger ale. "I was given the report about the Enchantress." He said without looking up.

"Are they sure that she can be contained?" Diana placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Of course, why wouldn't they?" He still didn't look at her.

Diana sighed. "John… My sister, Circi, may be planning to return." Finally, John turned his head to meet her eyes. "I know that things didn't end well between us, and I haven't really spoken to you outside of work… but if _she_ is coming back, I'm going to need all the help I can get. So, will you help me?"

John's muscles relaxed. "Just like old times?" He said, showing hints of a smile.

Diana felt a smile of her own spread across her lips. As much as she was sure that they couldn't be together, she wouldn't forget – she _couldn't_ forget – about how she still loved the first mortal to set foot in Asgard. She remembered how he supported her in politics, and how she often saved him from mortal danger. Even though she would never admit it, her heart belonged to him, as much as his belonged to her. "Yes, just like old times."

"Okay." His smile got bigger. "You can count on me."

"Excellent." Diana said before turning her attention to the bartender. "Two glasses of your strongest, sir." As the bartender went to get the drinks, Diana tried to start another conversation. "So, how's your sister?"

"Stacy? She's fine. Retirement's treating her well. In fact she just became a grandmother last month."

" _Really?_ " Diana's smile grew brighter.

"Yeah, it's good to be a great-uncle. Gives me a feeling of legacy, you know?" The bartender sat two large glasses of beer in front of them.

"Well then," Diana rose her glass to John. "To the _next generation_."

"To the next generation, Angel." John chuckled and tapped his glass against hers. He began to lightly sip at first, but then he noticed she was going at it a lot faster. He cocked an eyebrow and began to speed up.

* * *

 **One hour later:**

"Oh, hiedy-diedy-diedy-die!" John and Diana sang as the Amazon helped the drunken Major back to his sister's house. She knocked on the door and waited until she was greeted by an elderly woman in a soft nightgown.

"Diana? Oh, my God! John, is he alright?!"

"Oh, he's fine, Stacy, don't worry!" Diana laughed.

"What happened?"

"We talked, we drank, he made his ancestors proud!" Diana gently helped John over to the couch.

"Say, Angel?" John stuttered. "Thish ish prob'ly the alcohol talkin'… but I shtill luv ya…"

Diana gave John a small kiss on the cheek, gave Stacy a hug, and flew off into the night.

* * *

 **Elsewhere:**

"So… Minerva has _failed_." Circi paced around her friend's throne room impatiently. "But, fear not my lord. Soon you shall have what was taken from you, and then you can bring Apocalypse to the universe. All _I_ need is the scepter and an _army_."

"The master shall consider your proposal…" a shriveled alien spoke in a raspy voice.

Circi smiled as she looked down at the army of raging aliens, ready for combat.

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Also, kindly check out this incredible artwork by the great Flautist4ever!**

 **art/Justice-Legion-of-Avengers-631759630?q=favby%3AFLASHFAN123%2F62087627 &qo=0**


	5. This Looks Like a Job For part 1

**Warning: Attempted suicide in this chapter. Also, defense of the Muslim community! You don't like it? Don't read it.**

* * *

 **Chapter III: This Looks Like a Job For… Part 1**

 **Space, the final frontier.**

On its way back to the Andromeda System from a successful five-year mission, the starship, _R.T.T. Undermine_ was caught in the fierce grip of a black hole. The entire crew was in a state of panic as the ship was drawn closer and closer to the crushing force. In the command center, Captain Smirk activated the com-link to the engine room. "Mister Spot! Increase the ship's warp speed at once!"

"I'm givin' 'er all she's _got_ , Captain! I cannae do no more!" a Scottish man called back.

"Blast! Moans, what are our options?!" the Captain asked his comrade.

"Dammit, Grim! I'm a doctor, not a strategist!" the blue uniformed man shot back. Before Captain Grim T. Smirk could think of anything else, a pointy-eared science officer stepped towards the Captain's chair.

"Captain, if I may, logic dictates that we have a fifty-eight percent chance of survival if we jettison the spare fuel cells. After exposed to the black hole's gravitational field, the cells will combust and create a shockwave that should push us to safety."

"That's _suicide_ , Smock!" Dr. Moans yelled.

"No… Mr. Smock is right." Captain Smirk stared at the screen in front of the group. "We have no other option. We shall do the impossible today, and boldly go where no man has-"

Suddenly, the ship violently rocked to its side, causing every crew member to fall to the ground. But it was not the black hole, Mr. Smock pointed out that whatever caused them to move so abruptly was pushing them in the opposite direction. At last, they were free of the black hole's gravitational hold, and were back on course.

"Lt. O'Verra! Activate the bow's surveillance cameras!" Smirk and the crew looked at the screen until they saw what appeared to be a man flying outside of the spaceship. This man was incredibly muscular and tall. He wore a strange blue costume that had yellow boots and a red cape. He wore a large belt around his waist and a yellow shield on his chest, brandished with the letter "H."

" _Amateurs,"_ Hyperman thought to himself as he flew back to Earth, leaving the astonished crew behind. As he rushed through the void of space, Hyperman thought back on his entire life.

In 1918, on the planet Radon, the scientist brothers Jor-Ran and Zor-Ran had discovered that the planet was doomed. Unfortunately, because their calculations were not one hundred percent accurate, the remaining members of the Science Counsel of Radon disregarded their claims. In an effort to save the lives of his son and niece, Jor-Ran created two escape ships that would safely carry them to the nearest planet that could support life.

As Radon was destroyed, Kara Zor-Ran was knocked off-course into the Phantom Zone, while Kal-Ran arrived safely on Earth. After landing in Littlesberg, Kansas, Kal-Ran was found and adopted by the Miltons and re-named "Kent." As Kent grew up, he discovered that he had special powers that no other human possessed. By the age of eighteen, Kent learned about his true heritage and chose to use his powers for the pursuit of truth, justice, and the American way.

By 1938, he had moved to the city of Metropia, gotten a job at the Daily Times as a reporter, and waited for the right time. At last, when a group of armed hit men held the mayor hostage, Kent made his first debut as Hyperman, the Man of Tomorrow.

When WWII started, the President asked Hyperman to protect America from crime while the U.S. military fought over-seas. It was during this time that Hyperman had met Captain Steve Allen, more famously know as The Flag. At first, the two American heroes clashed over opposing ideals, but after an escalated duel between the two, they dropped their petty differences and united against a common threat. It wasn't long before they became good friends.

Over the years, Hyperman and the Flag started their own crime fighting team, consisting of Kid-Flag, Aqua, and the Human Lantern. These heroes defended America and its allies for years until tragedy after tragedy struck. Human Lantern had been destroyed attempting to arrest Benito Mussolini, Aqua's home of Atlantis was in turmoil and needed his help, and at last, Kid-Flag died saving the life of his mentor and best friend.

By the end of the war in 1945, an alien-being known as the Anti-Watcher threatened to destroy the Earth, and the Flag had seemingly given his life to stop the Anti-Watcher. These tragic events caused Hyperman to stumble into a deep depression, and after his adoptive parents had died, he chose to transcend his humanity and stay as Hyperman forever.

Due to his alien physiology, Hyperman did not age for seventy years as he continued to fight crime in Metropia. In 2015, he was confronted by S.H.I.E.L.D. with an offer to join a new team of super-powered beings. Hyperman initially refused the offer, but all of that changed when the Phantom Zone opened up. Hyperman rushed to the scene and discovered his long-lost cousin, who had remained a teenager due to being trapped in the Phantom Zone.

Reuniting with his cousin gave Hyperman a reason to accept his humanity again, a decision that was quickly reinforced by the sudden revival of his friend, Steve Allen. Now that he had a reason to truly live again, Hyperman accepted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s offer to join the Justice Legion of Avengers.

Hyperman's mind was brought back to the present as he reentered Earth's atmosphere. Heading towards Antarctica, he arrived at his Citadel of Isolation, a secret hide-away filled with Radonian technology. It was here that Hyperman had left an important experiment running before the alien ship was in need of his assistance. It was also where his cousin was studying human culture and preparing to enter a human high school.

As he walked through the magnificent crystal halls, Hyperman heard a noise coming from another corridor. Using his x-ray vision, he held a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh. There was Kara Zor-Ran, fully dressed in her Marvelgirl costume and wearing her large headphones as she swung her hips to the upbeat music.

"Some-BODY once told me the _world_ was gonna role me! I ain't the sharpest tool in the _shed!_ She was lookin' kinda dumb, with her _finger_ and her _thumb_ in the _shape_ of an _"L"_ on her _forehead!_ Hey, now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play! Hey, now, you're a rock star, get the show on, get paid! All that glitters is _gold!_ Only shootin' _stars_ break the _moooooo-!_ "

Kara stopped singing once she opened her eyes to see her cousin casually leaning up against the doorway with a smug grin on his face. She quickly took off her headphones and smiled sheepishly. "H-hi, Kal, you're home early…"

"Kara, I'm _glad_ that you're enjoying this world's culture. Especially the music." Kal put a hand on Kara's shoulder as he smiled. "Just be yourself, and don't worry about what others think about you."

Kara smiled at her cousin's kind words as she hugged him tightly. Before anything else could be said, a robotic drone hovered into the room. "Kal-Ran, the results of your experiment are almost in."

Kal rushed into the scientific wing at incredible speed, with Kara closely behind. Kal had spent weeks trying to use his advanced alien intellect and his Radonian resources to find a cure for cancer. Every previous attempt had resulted in a failure; this current test was the fifty-second attempt. Kal and Kara waited patiently as the computer processed the results until one word flashed onto the screen: **FAILURE**.

Kal sighed deeply and crossed his arms in defeat. Kara tried to offer comfort as she sympathetically rubbed his back. "It just doesn't seem _fair_ , Kara…" He said sadly. "I'm faster than a speeding laser beam, more powerful that a nuclear warhead, able to leap out of a planet's atmosphere in a single bound, yet I can't seem to be able to improve modern medicine. I just wish I could do more for my adoptive planet aside from being its resident strongman."

But what Hyperman didn't know at the time was that there are certain other ways to help humanity. Just before Kara could say anything, Kal's super-hearing kicked in. What he heard made his jaw go slack and his pupils shrink. "Kara, stay here! Turn on the news and be ready to come to Metropia if I need you!"

And with that Hyperman flew out of the Citadel and headed for his city. As he flew, he continued to listen in on the newscast.

"This is Lois Brant of the Daily Times, reporting in front of the Metropia capital building. The young girl at the top of the building has been identified as Ayesha Abdallah. Daughter of Lieutenant Jamal Abdallah, who was killed six years ago, serving in the U.S. military against Afghan terrorists. Her mother, Mariam, has stated that Ayesha has been severely harassed, and even threatened, in school due to her Muslim beliefs. Just an hour ago, Mariam received Ayesha's suicide note, apologizing for not being strong enough to go on."

Hyperman felt ashamed. The people of Metropia had accepted him at the very beginning of his career, despite the fact that he was indeed an alien from outer space. But it never occurred to him that it was only because his skin was the "right" color or that he believed in the "right" religion. As he arrived in the city, he was still thinking about what to say, so that he didn't make the situation any worse. At last, he was hovering over forty stories in front of the teenage girl.

"Ms. Abdallah? Can I call you Ayesha?" He smiled softly.

"Call me whatever you want, Hyperman…" She said with a broken voice. "It doesn't matter. _Nothing_ matters anymore."

" _Everyone_ matters, Ayesha." Hyperman inched slightly towards her.

"Don't come _any closer!_ " She pulled a gun out of her pocket and held the barrel against her head. "I'll _do_ it! I swear!"

"I'm staying _right here_." Hyperman said easily. "I _won't_ touch you. I just want to _talk_."

"I'm _done_ talking!" She sobbed. "My daddy served for _years_ in the military! He fought against the people who _perverted_ our beliefs! Even after he _died_ for this country, _no one_ treated him with respect! Or my mother! Or _me!_ They _hate_ me! I can't live like this! Not anymore!"

"You're right…" Hyperman breathed gently. "It isn't fair the way you've been treated. It isn't fair and it isn't _right_. But this won't solve _anything_. Your father wouldn't want you to do this, Ayesha. He would've wanted what was _best_ for you and your mother. I can help you in any way I can, I _want_ to be able to help you. But you have to _let_ me help you. Giving up never solved anything."

Ayesha was still sobbing as she kept the gun to her head. "I'm not _strong enough_ …"

"Yes, you _are_ … you don't have to do this… you just need to ask for help, and I promise you'll be _stronger_ than ever."

Ayesha dropped the gun onto the perch and buried her face into her hands. Hyperman landed right in front of her and hugged her tightly. He made sure to be extremely careful as he lifted her into his arms, and began to carry her down. Once they were safely on the ground, Mariam hugged her daughter as they both cried with a mixture of sadness, relief, and happiness.

"Thank you so _much_ , Hyperman…" Mariam choked out.

"It's what I'm _here_ for." He said softly. He turned his attention to Lois Brant and all of the on-lookers who had gathered around the area, showing utter disappointment. "This young woman is a human being, no different from _any_ of you. The very idea that you would drive her to do this sickens me. And unless we can end such horrible bigotry, I don't think you have any right to call _yourselves_ human. We are _all_ part of this world, start _acting_ like it." And with that, Hyperman looked down at Ayesha's gun as he held it in his hand, and disintegrated with his heat vision before flying back to the sky.

"So, do you still think that you're just this planet's 'resident strongman'?" Kara appeared out of nowhere and gave her cousin a loving hug.

* * *

 **The Next Day:**

Max Von Havoc sat in his private home on the edge of Metropia, reading the newspaper as he finished his breakfast. The top story appeared to be giving him a considerable amount of frustration as he read out loud. "'And so, the young Ayesha Abdallah has begun her recovery, and claims to owe all of her thanks to Metropia's favorite son, Hyperman…'" Max crumpled the paper in his hands and violently threw it in the trash.

His father, Max Von Havoc Sr., had fought with Hyperman before, but his father only hated the Man of Tomorrow out of pure jealousy. Due to that hatred, Von Havoc Sr. lashed out at his son, leading Max to turn to theology for comfort.

It was these studies that lead Max to draw elaborate conclusions about faith. He _did_ believe that there was a God, but he believed God to be tribal and favoring sides. It was then that Max decided that if God was all-powerful, He could not be all-good. And if God was all-good, He could not be all-powerful. And neither could Hyperman be. He was an alien who had corrupted the world's view, and it was up to him to make them see the light.

"Mercy?" He spoke into his cell phone. "Start the car, I'm coming down."

"Right away, Max." his chauffer/bodyguard replied.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, In the Streets of Metropia:**

The citizens of Metropia went about their day. The adults traveled to work, preparing to start the day, and their children were sent off to school. But unknown to any of the workers at the construction site for Metropia's new art museum, a dark figure lurked in the shadows.

The figure stumbled out from her hiding place to reveal her dark, purple skin to the workers. She had white lines covering her breasts and her waist, and her brown hair had a white streak going down the middle. She was sickly thin and begging for help.

"Hey lady, are you okay?" One of the workers touched her. Suddenly, she gripped his arm tightly, and pain surged through his body as he felt all of his energy drain out of him. The woman stood up straight and began to look healthier as she grabbed another worker.

Hyperman was patrolling the city when he saw what was happening. He flew down to the worksite and stepped towards the woman. "What's going on here?"

The woman spun around with wide, amber eyes. "Oh, Hyperman, thank God you're here." She spoke with a thick southern accent. "My name's Anna Marie Jones. I don't know what's happened to me! You just _gotta help me_ , please!"

"Of course, I'll help you, Anna." Hyperman stepped closer. "In any way I can."

"Good, hold still." She smiled evilly as she gripped him tightly.

Hyperman felt a pain he had never felt before. He could feel all of his superpowers being drained from him as well as his life-force.

"By the way…" Anna continued. "I also go by… _Renegade_."

 **To Be Continued!**


	6. This Looks Like a Job For part 2

**Chapter III: This Looks Like A Job For… Part 2**

Ms. Mercy Graves waited patiently for her boss to come downstairs so that she could drive him to MaxCorp. It wasn't really a bad job. As the bodyguard of one of the most powerful and influential businessmen in all of Metropia, there never truly seemed to be a dull moment in her career. But what she really enjoyed was helping Max Von Havoc do his dirty work. As she had just finished straightening her outfit, she heard a noise coming from the staircase.

"Oh, good…" she thought to herself. "He's _pissed_."

Max stormed over to the car with a grim look that could turn milk sour. " _Favorite son_ …" he grumbled. "He's not even _human!_ " With a sudden outburst, he slammed his fist into the wall.

"Max!" Mercy stepped towards him before he held up a finger, signaling her to stay back.

He was breathing heavily, seething with a suppressed hatred for Hyperman. After a few short moments, his breathing calmed down and his muscles relaxed. He straightened his hair, took a deep breath, and walked right past Mercy as if nothing had happened.

She opened the passenger-side door for him to get in, and then she went around to the other side. As soon as they were on the road, Max pulled out a folder and finished a few quick strokes with his pencil before closing it.

"As soon as we get to MaxCorp, I need you to get this to the medical research lab. I came up with the formula last night, and I've made it eighty-seven percent applicable. See to it that they can finish it so that it's _one hundred percent_."

"What is it this time, Max?" Mercy asked with interest. "The cure for cancer?"

Max chuckled. "Even _my_ superior intellect isn't that skilled… _yet_. It's a formula for a successful treatment for muscular dystrophy. You see that, Mercy? It isn't Hyperman who's improving medical procedures, and it isn't Hyperman who's slashed Metropia's unemployment rate in half, and it _certainly_ wasn't Hyperman who rebuilt more than _three quarters_ of this city… it was _me_."

"And here I thought you were angry because you lost the nomination for president."

"Oh, _please…_ " Max scoffed. "I would've _dropped out_ anyway. This year's political race is nothing short of a _joke_. The only thing that _truly_ angered me about this race is that Simon Hammer became their nominee. That man makes politicians look like nothing more than a bunch of greedy crooks and unintelligent businessmen."

" _Yeah_ …" Mercy smirked. "Thank God for all of the _honest_ and _bright_ ones like Richard Nixon and George Bush."

Max craned his head towards his driver before a smile creeped over his face. "Touché. But, back to the matter at hand; I'm going to need to reschedule my meeting with the board next week now that I've been invited to the – what the hell?!"

Mercy braked just in time before Hyperman and a purple-skinned woman crashed into the ground. This woman quickly got up and wrapped her hands around Hyperman's neck. Marvelgirl was flying close behind, trying to draw the other woman's attention. Hyperman, himself, didn't look very healthy, this made Max's smile begin to grow even wider.

* * *

 **Five Minutes Earlier…**

"It _hurts_ , doesn't it, Hyperman?" Renegade grinned as she drained the energy from Hyperman's body. "Or should I say _Kent Milton?_ " Hyperman's eyes went wide with shock. "Yeah, when I absorb a person's energy, I also absorb their memories. What do you say to that?"

"Behind… you…"

"Ha! Oldest trick in the –" Suddenly, Renegade was struck by a lamppost that sent her flying into the air.

"Are you okay, Kal?" Marvelgirl helped her cousin up off of the ground.

"Don't let her touch you, Kara!" But it was too late. Two beams of red energy struck Marvelgirl in the back. Renegade was hovering above them, using Hyperman's heat-vision to pin Marvelgirl to the ground. Marvelgirl tried to use heat-vision of her own, but she couldn't. Somehow, her physiology was slightly different than her cousins, meaning that she may not have all of his powers.

"Leave… us… alone!" Kara struggled just to stand up. She put her hands in front of herself to keep the blast out of her face. Renegade got closer, making the strength of the beams grow with intensity. Kara screamed in agony, and two beams of yellow energy shot from her palms, colliding with Renegade's stolen heat-vision. Renegade, Kara, and Kent were all surprised.

"Can _you_ do this?" Kara looked down at her cousin.

"I don't… _think so_ …" As Kent felt his strength returning, Renegade's heat-vision began to fade.

"No!" Renegade cried. She dodged Marvelgirl's blasts, and desperately lunged at Hyperman again. This time, once she grabbed onto him tightly, she flew high into the air, away from Marvelgirl. Hyperman struggled to get free until Renegade dropped him. She dived down after him, until she finally wrapped her hands around his neck, and slammed him into the ground.

* * *

 **Present Time…**

Max was feeling completely giddy! He watched with intense interest as Renegade fought with Hyperman and Marvelgirl right in front of him. Suddenly, Hyperman regained his powers and punched Renegade into the sky. Marvelgirl followed after her, but Hyperman was still low on power. At last, he worked up enough strength to follow them.

"Mercy?" Max looked to his bodyguard as he got out of the car. "There's a movie theater two blocks away from here. Would you be a dear and fetch me a bucket of popcorn?" And with that, Metropia's most successful entrepreneur ran after the super-beings.

"You won't hurt _anyone_ ever again!" Marvelgirl continued to blast Renegade with her energy beams, trying her best to keep her distance. Renegade looked like she couldn't keep it up much longer, and she finally collapsed to the ground. "Finally… I was getting pretty tired of this."

But Renegade suddenly clutched Marvelgirl's ankle, causing the Teen of Steel to double back in pain. "Mmmm, yummy!" Renegade laughed.

"W-why… are you… doing this…?" Marvelgirl whimpered.

"Consider it karma, sugah." Renegade explained. "Ah'm just tryin' ta repay this world for what it did to me! Folks don't take kindly ta muta-humans, so me an' mah friends are gonna see to it that they pay!"

"Leave her alone!" Something hit Renegade upside her head. Ayesha Abdallah was just leaving her therapist's office when she saw Renegade attacking Marvelgirl. Acting on impulse, she grabbed the biggest stick that she could find and hit Renegade. Unfortunately, the stick snapped in half upon contact.

"You're that Muslim girl from yesterday, ain'tcha?" Renegade stood up to face her. "You really _are_ suicidal!"

Renegade lifted her fist to strike the girl when Hyperman flew down and knocked the villainess down. Renegade regained her composure, and gave Hyperman such a powerful blow, that a stream of blood flew from his mouth. Hyperman quickly swatted Renegade away and went towards Ayesha, but he was too distracted to notice something equally important. After Hyperman had coughed up his blood, someone gathered it up, and snuck away with it.

"Ayesha! What are you doing?! Get out of here!"

"No! You helped me, I want to help you!"

"But Ayesha, you can't-!" Suddenly, Hyperman got an idea. If Renegade absorbed super-beings' powers and memories, perhaps she absorbed even more than that. "Okay, Ayesha, maybe you _can_ help! I need you to go to S.T.A.R. Labs and talk to Prof. Hamilton. Tell him I need him to unlock vault 337, he'll understand. Go!"

Ayesha rushed off to help her friend, now all Hyperman had to do was buy her some time. Renegade got up and snarled angrily. Her fists began to glow with the same yellow energy that Marvelgirl had shown. Hyperman knew that he obviously couldn't defeat her one-on-one, and he saw the damage that they were causing to the city. He needed her to chase him.

"That's _it!_ Ah'm gonna drain every last once of energy from your body, Hyperman!"

"I'd like to see you try, you redneck stereotype!" He coaxed.

"That _tears_ it!" Renegade flew into the sky, screaming bloody murder.

Hyperman flew out of the city as fast as he could, with Renegade right behind him. As they got higher, Hyperman's eyes began to burn with intense solar energy. At last, he turned around and released his heat-vision upon Renegade. But the purple villainess fired yellow energy blasts at the same time, locking both super-beings into a deadly situation. The two colliding energies continued to build up until they finally exploded.

Hyperman's super-hearing suddenly kicked in. It was time to execute his plan. Renegade's powers were beginning to fade, meaning she would be dangerously desperate and reckless. Hyperman led her to the edge of Metropia where S.T.A.R. Labs was located.

* * *

"Look…" Prof. Hamilton pinched the bridge of his nose ion annoyance. "I don't care _who you are_ or _what you say_ … I'm not gullible enough to believe that Hyperman sent a little girl to have me open the vault."

But Prof. Hamilton quickly retracted his statement once Hyperman and Renegade crashed through the Lab's observatory. Renegade was caught under some rubble, but Hyperman was quick enough to warn everyone to get as far away as possible. As soon as he made sure everyone was evacuated, Hyperman returned his attention to Renegade. She had finally freed herself in time to see Hyperman run into the next room.

"What's the matter, sugah?" Renegade laughed as she followed. "Ah thought ya'll wanted a fight!"

She broke the door down and was surprised to see that Hyperman wasn't in there. She wandered around, checking every corner of the room until she came to a larger corridor filled with vaults. As she walked inside she noticed one vault labeled 337 was wide open, but nothing was in it.

Suddenly, firm hands gripped her shoulders and threw her out. There was Hyperman dressed in a bulky hazmat suit.

"Ya idiot! Ah still have plenty of juice to just peel that thing off ya and get back down ta business!"

"Maybe…" Hyperman reached behind his back. "But do you have enough to stop _this?_ "

Renegade lunged at Hyperman with anger and hunger in her eyes. With lightning speed, Hyperman pulled his hand out from behind his back, and held up a glowing, green rock. Renegade was in pain. Her body felt as if it were on fire, her bones felt as if they would shatter, and she screamed an unearthly howl until all of the power she absorbed faded from her body, and she was weak once again.

Hyperman sighed with relief as he placed the rock back into the vault and locked it. He picked up Renegade and strapped her down onto a gurney. Just then, Marvelgirl and Ayesha came back inside to find Renegade defeated.

"Whoa… how'd you beat her so easily, Hyperman?" Ayesha was awe-struck.

"I took a gamble, and I won." Hyperman looked down at Renegade's unconscious body. "She absorbed our strengths, but she also absorbed our _weaknesses_."

"The radonite!" Marvelgirl gasped. "Is she…?"

"No, she should be fine. We'll just have to see if Prof. Hamilton can create a special cell for her at the Raft."

 **Later, at the Raft**

"You're certain she has no memory from today?" Hyperman stared cautiously at Renegade as she sat in her cell.

"We're positive. It seems that the exposure to the radonite has completely erased all memory of today's events." Fury assured Hyperman.

"Alright. Kara, let's go home. You need to get ready for school next week, and I need to talk to a friend."

With that, the Radonians flew off. Director Fury looked back at Renegade before going back to work. Once everyone was gone, a cockroach crawled up next to the purple woman. She touched it, absorbed its life-force, and smiled wickedly.

* * *

 **Later That Day**

Ayesha was back at home with her mother. Helping to cook dinner, finishing her chores, and going over her school preparations one last time.

"Thank you for your help today, Ayesha."

Startled, Ayesha spun around to see Hyperman right outside her window. "I owed you my life."

"That's not the way it works, Ayesha." Hyperman chuckled as he came into her room. "You don't owe me _anything_. It's my duty to help everyone. But now, _I_ am in _your_ debt. So, I want you to have this." He handed her a watch with his symbol branded on it. "It's a signal watch. If you're ever in trouble, or you just need moral support, push that button on the side, and it'll give off a frequency that only I can hear… and I'll be there as fast as I can."

"Hyperman, I… I don't know what to say…" Ayesha smiled brightly.

"Just… don't go showing it off at school."

With that Hyperman flew off into the sky, leaving Ayesha to cock a sly eyebrow at her new watch.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, at MaxCorp**

"You three, drop what you're doing and come with me!" Max ordered his scientists. He led them down to a secluded part of the biology division and opened a secret door. "I have something more important I want you working on… find out what we can do with _this_."

Max set a case onto the table in front of them and held up a test tube filled with a red liquid. The scientists gasped in surprise. "Mr. Von Havoc…" one said. "Is that…?"

"Pure Radonian DNA…" Max said staring sinisterly at the vial. "Christmas came _early_ this year."

 **To Be Continued!**


	7. I am Emerald Man part 1

**Chapter IV: I Am Emerald Man!**

Do you ever look back on your life and wonder; "How did my life get like this?" For Tony Jordan, the answer to that question dates back by more than a decade.

 **1995\. Iraq.**

"They say the best weapon is one you never have to fire… I prefer the weapon you only have to fire _once._ That's how _dad_ did it, that's how _America_ does it… and it's worked out pretty well so far."

Tony Jordan was the esteemed and privileged son of inventor Howard Jordan. After successfully completing college and grad school at an early age, he inherited his father's company, selling weapons to the U.S. military. His latest weapon was a projectile that, when directly over the target, it would scatter two dozen missiles, completely annihilating the target.

But, when he was on his way home, his plane was shot down by terrorists using his own weaponry. He survived the crash, but suffered multiple shrapnel wounds in his chest. Fortunately for Tony, he wasn't the only one who had been kidnapped by the terrorists. That was the day he met Alan Scott, a brilliant reverse-engineering expert who had discovered a piece of alien technology. The technology was shaped like a lantern and it radiated with a powerful green energy.

The terrorists wanted to use Tony and Alan to build weapons to use against NATO, but the shrapnel wounds Tony had sustained were too severe for him to be of any use. So, before they could do anything, Alan was tasked with tending the young inventor's wounds.

In an effort to save Tony's life, Alan performed a desperate operation that implanted the alien technology inside Tony's chest. The technology kept the metal shards out of Tony's heart, while simultaneously rejuvenating his health. Tony and Alan devised a plan to escape from their captors, while Alan made it appear that they were building weapons, Tony was working on a special suit of armor that would help them escape.

At last, he had finished the suit, connecting it to the lantern-shaped power cell in his chest. The suit increased Tony's strength, created hard-like constructs out of light, and protected him from fatal wounds. When they made their escape, Tony was able to destroy the weapons they had stolen, but Alan was killed in their escape.

Once he finally got home, Tony decided that his company would no longer create weapons, and dedicated his life to stopping terrorism and the forces of evil. As he continued to fight injustice, he also continued to modify his suit. Now, he could control it with a ring on his finger that connected to the power source in his chest. After the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, Tony went public with his identity and swore that he would work with S.H.I.E.L.D. to crack down on terrorism even harder.

* * *

 **Present day. Supreme Court.**

"Mister Jordan, thank you for attending this meeting to discuss the future of the Emerald Man weapon."

Tony hated this. Ever since he had gone public with his identity as Emerald Man, the government has been repeatedly trying to persuade him to design more weaponized suits for the military. Now, he was with the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., sitting next to Simon Hammer of all people, hearing for the umpteenth time about how he needed to hand his tech over to the government.

"Now, presidential candidate, Simon Hammer, would like to make his case."

Everyone except for Tony and his friend Col. John "Rhodey" Rhodes applauded as the seventy-year old megalomaniac went up to the podium. "Thank you your honor… Now, as we all know, Mister Jordan started his career fighting terrorists, but now, he doesn't want us to have his technology so that we can stop those psychopathic murderers from coming back into our country, just like on 9/11. I was there when it happened; I saw all of the Muslims that we let into our country cheering as the Twin Towers came down. How long until Afghanistan or Iraq get suits like that? Mister Jordan, if you don't surrender your technology over to us willingly, then I'll be forced to take it from you when I become president. God bless America, God bless Tony Jordan."

After Hammer found his seat, the Supreme Court judge turned to Tony. "Mister Hammer does have a valid point, Mister Jordan. If our enemies can replicate your technology, I doubt they'll keep it to themselves. Now, you may present your case."

Tony got up, and smugly walked up to the podium. Unknown to anyone else, he was fiddling with his A.I. on his phone, hacking into the building's speaker and projector systems. "Well, I actually have a confession to make, your honor; our enemies already _are_ trying to replicate my technology."

Everyone in the room gasped in shock. "That's why I took the liberty of hacking into their test footage to check on their progress. Aya, baby, you in?" He pressed his finger to his ear bud.

"I am, indeed, Mister Jordan." A feminine voice echoed throughout the courtroom.

"Please show these kind ladies and gentlemen the latest advancements in, uh, Afghanistan."

A video began to play, showing Afghan terrorists surrounding a large, bulky suit. Unfortunately for them, it was too heavy for the pilot to move inside. While a wide grin spread over Rhodes' face, Simon Hammer began to feel uneasy.

"Okay, how about… China and Russia?"

Another video appeared, showing Chinese soldiers leading an even larger suit of armor out of a hanger. The suit successfully took two steps before it collapsed to the ground and exploded. Everyone in the courtroom laughed, except for Hammer. Another video showed agents of the Kremlin testing the flight capabilities of their own suit in Moscow. The suit flew forward uncontrollably, firing off its weapons randomly. The room burst into laughter.

"There have even been some attempts right here in America. Isn't that right, Aya? Oh, my goodness gracious! Is that Simon Hammer?"

"Wait, WHAT?!" Hammer's face became flushed with fear.

The next video showed Simon Hammer with a group his men standing around someone else in another suit. The pilot successfully lifted his arm before he pivoted his waist too quickly, causing his entire torso to turn 180 degrees. Everyone in the room gasped.

"Alright, Mister Jordan, you've made your point…" the judge said.

"No, no, no, keep watching, it gets _so much better!_ " Tony chuckled.

The video showed Hammer violently throwing anything he could pick up at his men. "YOU IDIOTS! YOU LOSERS! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

"Sir, please! We don't have the right resources to-"

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! TONY JORDAN WAS ABLE TO BUILD ONE OF THESE IN A _CAVE!_ WITH A BUNCH OF SCRAPS!"

The video ended, and everyone's attention landed on Hammer. They all showed looks of disgust and disappointment. "Yeah, that's not the kind of person _I'd_ vote for." Tony said. "So, yeah, based on what we've all seen, I'm pretty sure our enemies will have successfully replicated my technology in about, oh… ummm… three hundred years after my death. You want my technology? You _can't have it!_ But I'm doing the world a huge favor, aren't I? I am working with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Justice Legion of Avengers to successfully establish world peace."

The room erupted with applause as Tony stepped down from the podium, holding up dual peace signs. The judge ended the meeting and everyone exited the building. He joined Rhodey and they walked outside. Rhodey gave his best friend a firm pat on the back as they walked to Tony's limo. "Nice move, boss." He complimented.

"Jordan!" They both sighed and turned to see a red-faced Simon Hammer storming over to them. "I hope you enjoyed that, because when I become president, I'm shutting you and your damn company down! I won't even need your fancy suits, I am just gonna lock onto the entire Middle East and _bomb the shit out of them!_ "

A slow, sardonic clap filled the air. The three men turned to see a man in a wheelchair inching closer to them. "Spoken like a true philanthropist." He spoke in a thick German accent. "Or, is it humanitarian? You see, I can never seem to remember which one it is that you're pretending to be."

"Richards…" Simon responded apathetically. "Don't _get up_."

"HA HA HA!" the man laughed sarcastically as Hammer walked away. Rhodey looked as if he were about to go beat up Hammer for the cruel comment, but Tony held him back.

"Dr. Richards, what brings you here?" he asked.

"Well, it appears that Mr. Powell is having some difficulties."

" _Define_ difficulties…" Tony groaned.

* * *

 **S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters**

"How was I supposed to know it would blow up?!"

"Perhaps, because we _warned_ you about it?" Prof. Martin Stein sighed as he wiped the soot away from his glasses.

Ronnie Powell was just an average high school student when his class took a field trip to S.T.A.R. Labs. But, at the same time, Dr. Harrison Richards was about to activate his latest invention; a particle accelerator. It was designed to provide nearly limitless free energy to the entire continent of North America, but what happened next came as a shock to every scientist at S.T.A.R. Labs.

Harrison had somehow detected that the protons in the accelerator were moving at an irregular pattern. Soon they were caught in the process, and began to react violently with the machine. It was too much for the accelerator to handle and Harrison realized it would overload. They tried to evacuate the complex, but in all of the confusion, Ronnie was locked inside the nuclear test lab.

The particle accelerator exploded, sending shockwaves of energy throughout the city. The nuclear lab was eventually breached, and Ronnie was bathed in the strange radiation. But, through some miracle, the harmful rays did not kill him. Instead, the altered his molecular structure, transforming him into a being of pure energy.

When the excitement was over, it was revealed that the protons that caused the accident were actually the long lost war hero, the Flag, and the accelerator had apparently saved his life. Sadly, the explosion had damaged most of the laboratory, and cost Dr. Richards the use of his legs. But Ronnie didn't care, he only wanted to find his way back home. But much to his dismay, once he reached his family back in Queens, his radioactive form infected his family with a fatal cancer that immediately killed them. Ronnie was now alone, with no family to support him.

He was taken in by S.H.I.E.L.D. and handed over to Dr. Richards and Prof. Stein. The scientists constructed a special containment suit that protected others from the radiation that he emitted. He now spent most of his time trying to harness his new radioactive abilities, so that he could better mankind. Unfortunately, his condition left him rather depressed.

"Alright, well, let's do another test." Ronnie turned to one of the men in hazmat suits.

"We're clocking out for lunch, kid." He said. If he had stayed, he would have heard Ronnie's angered rant.

"Lunch?! Hey, come back here, half-wit! Maybe _you_ need to eat, but _I_ don't! I don't _have_ that privilege! I can't _eat_ , I can't _sleep_ , I can't _do anything!_ In case it ain't clear to you people, I ain't a man no more! I'm a _freak!_ "

As Ronnie went to brood in his room, Tony and Dr. Richards conversed with each other on what to do.

"He's been like this for two days now." Dr. Richards sighed.

"Has he tried socializing with Speedster-Man or Marvelgirl, lately?"

"Nein. He just sulks in his room, never comes out."

"I'll talk to him." Tony said. He walked down the halls and into the dormitories. At last he came upon a door with a diamond-shaped radiation logo on it. Tony twisted the circular part of his ring, activating an invisible shield that would protect him from radiation, just in case.

He opened the door, and saw Ronnie sitting at his desk, surfing the web on his laptop. "That was kinda rude, don't you think?"

"Go away." The radioactive teenager grunted. But instead, Tony got closer.

"I should be dead y'know. There's probably enough shrapnel in my chest to build a small hand gun. This half-magic, half-science lantern is literally the only thing keeping me alive. It's as much of a curse as it is a privilege."

"But at least you can _control_ it." Ronnie said without looking up from his laptop. Tony slammed the laptop shut, causing Ronnie to look at him in annoyance.

"Don't think I don't understand you." Tony went on. "Sure, it seems like life sucks right now, but if you admit defeat, defeat will always admit you. I look at you, and I see someone with unlimited potential. I've read your background; captain of the basketball team, football quarterback, fastest track runner, fourteen homeruns… it's impressive. I had to work for _seven years_ to win back my family's company after my parents died, but I did it. So, speaking as someone who has hit rock bottom... _twice_ … get up off your ass, and let's get back to work."

"You sound like my coaches." Ronnie chuckled. "So, where are we heading?"

"To the race track." Tony smiled.

In a few moments, Tony and Ronnie were at S.T.A.R.'s test track for new cars that would use less fuel, but travel at better efficiency. Tony put on a racing suit and got into one of the cars, while Ronnie sat on the bench with anticipation. The car hummed to life, and Tony took off at an incredible speed. Just as he was coming around the bend, he saw one of the scientists stepping onto the track.

The man flicked his wrists forward, reveling two metal batons. His thumbs slid over the rims of the batons, causing streams of green energy to flow from them. Tony's eyes widened with horror as the energy burned away the man's lab coat, revealing a black suit with a gray triangle on the chest. The man swung the batons rapidly, causing the energy streams to whip violently around him, cutting into the asphalt beneath his feet as he stepped forward.

With a strong thrust, the green energy whip sliced Tony's car in half, causing him to crash. "Jordan…" Blacklash beckoned to him. "We need to _talk_ …"

 **To Be Continued!**


	8. I am Emerald Man part 2

**Author's note: anything in ( ) means it's in a foreign language.**

 **Chapter IV: I Am Emerald Man! Part 2**

 **Moscow, Russia. November 1, 2001.**

Anton Hand, former Soviet spy, sat in his apartment, watching the son of Howard Jordan holding a press conference at the United Nations Headquarters. Just last month, the Twin Towers had been destroyed by terrorists, and America was in distress. Tony Jordan was discussing his company's plans, as well as the intentions of the vigilante, Emerald Man.

"I assure you, although Jordan Industries will no longer be making weapons for the military, we will make many contributions to the reconstruction of New York, as well as aid the lives of everyone who has been affected by this horrible tragedy."

"Mister Jordan, there are rumors going around that you have some sort of connection with Emerald Man. Do you deny that perhaps one of your employees or even a private bodyguard could be the armored hero?"

"Yes, I do deny those claims. Emerald Man does not work for me in any way. But, he _is_ doing what he can to stop terrorism, and keep America's safety in check."

"But how could you possibly know what Emerald Man's intentions are if he has no connections to you?"

"Because…" Tony sighed deeply before answering. " _I_ am Emerald Man." Every report leapt from their seats, bombarding Jordan with multiple questions. The television cut to a commercial break, leaving Anton with a depressed expression on his face.

("Ivan…") the elderly Russian called. When there was no answer, he tried again. ("Ivan… come here, please…")

At last, a tall, muscular Russian man came into the room. He was dressed in old boots, dirty cargo pants, and a tank top with a black triangle on his chest. Long, dark locks of hair covered his eyes, and his arms were covered in tattoos that all symbolized death. A raven was perched on his arm before he let it flutter onto a nearby bookcase. Ivan Hand looked down at his father with a sad expression. He kneeled down to look into his father's lifeless eyes.

("I have failed you, Ivan…") Anton began. ("The Hand family has a very strict tradition, Ivan… If the father fails his son… it is the son's duty to punish his father… with _death_ … I tried to create a better life for you, Ivan… but I was discovered by Howard Jordan…")

("Father, please, I _can't_ do this…") Ivan trembled.

("You _must_ … it is how the Hand family… punishes weakness… because of _my_ weakness your mother is _dead_ … and you are _starving_ … Ivan… the first kill is _always_ the hardest… and it is even _harder_ if it is someone you love… but after the kill… _revenge_ … will be that much easier…")

Ivan wiped the tears from his eyes, only for them to dampen again at a quicker rate. He stood up and walked to his father's head. He placed one hand on the side of Anton's head, and the other hand cupped his chin. Ivan hesitated, he had never taken a life before, let alone the life of someone he loved.

("Just _do it_ , Ivan…") Anton breathed. But still, Ivan resisted, shaking as the conflict ate away his soul. ("DO IT!")

It happened quickly. With a swift motion, Ivan snapped his father's neck. The Russian looked down at his father's lifeless body as he fell to his knees. Ivan was now alone, with no one to live for. As the newscast came back on, a fiery rage burned in his chest as he looked upon Tony Jordan. The son of the man who had his father deported, the son of the man who disgraced the Hand family, and the son of the man who just forced him to kill his father. At last that passionate anger manifested itself into a violent scream that echoed throughout the apartment.

Ivan wasted no time in planning his revenge. Searching through his father's documents, he found the plans for a special weapon that was co-designed by Howard Jordan, Alan Scott, and Anton, himself. The weapon was a special baton that could create strands of pure energy. It was meant to be a non-lethal weapon for self-defense, but with a few alterations, it could cut through almost anything.

For years, Ivan collected enough scraps and essentials to create two of these batons. When he wasn't busy with the construction, he practiced his skills with a bull whip, each lash fueled by rage and hatred. Once his technique was perfect, and the batons were built, he began stage two of his plan; forging a passport to America. After the passport was completed, he created an insulated suit to protect his body from the batons' power source, which strapped firmly between his shoulder blades.

At last, Ivan's plan could begin. He managed to come into America, and disguised himself as an employee at Jordan Industries. Once he had gotten close enough to Jordan, he made his move. He revealed himself to be the son of Anton Hand, and blamed Howard Jordan for his father's fate. But because Howard had died twenty years earlier, his penance fell upon Tony.

But before Ivan could kill him, Agent Romanoff, aka the Black Cat, intervened and took him down. That was over three weeks ago, and Ivan was reportedly sent to prison.

* * *

 **Present Day**

Pepper Ferris; MIT graduate, former member of the U.S. Air Force, and the newly appointed CEO of Jordan Industries, as well as Tony's occasional romantic interest. Due to Tony's activities as Emerald Man, he decided it was best to leave his company in the hands of someone intelligent, capable, and resourceful. But their relationship had always been complicated; his brash and arrogant behavior clashed with her more organized and strict personality. She was currently riding in her car with her chauffer, "Happy" Gardner. "How was your day, Ms. Ferris?" Happy asked as he adjusted his rear-view.

"It was pretty good, I guess." She replied. "

Suddenly, her cell phone vibrated rapidly in her pocket. She answered it just in time to hear an exasperated Dr. Harrison Richards. A shocked expression spread over her face. Reaching behind her seat, she pulled a metal suitcase out from the trunk and turned back to Gardner.

"Happy! Get us to Jordan Industries! Now!"

 **Jordan Industries**

"Will someone please tell me why Mickey Rourke is trying to kill Mr. Jordan?!" Firehawk shouted in fear.

"That's Blacklash, Ronald!" Prof. Stein was equally frightened. "He has a grudge against Mr. Jordan!"

"Less talking, more helping!" Tony shouted as Blacklash continued to attack. The Russian villain whipped his left arm towards Tony, but he only grazed his shoulder. Then he whipped his right arm towards his foe, but Tony jumped to safety. Jordan stumbled backwards, tripping over a piece of the shattered vehicle.

Acting on impulse, Firehawk created a ball of fire and chucked it at Blacklash. Blacklash turned around, and flicked his energy strand around the nuclear man's neck. As Firehawk struggled against it, Blacklash pulled his arm back, forcing the teen hero to his knees. Then, with a strong tug forward, Blacklash sent Firehawk flying to the other side of the race track.

"I REGRET NOTHING!" Ronnie screamed before colliding with the pavement.

"Your family destroyed mine, Jordan…" Blacklash turned his attention back to Tony. "It's long past time for me to return the favor."

But before Blacklash could strike again, both he and Tony heard a car horn. Happy had rammed the car into Blacklash, slamming him into the wall. Happy rolled down the windows so that he and Pepper could talk to Tony.

"What is going on?!"

"Are you okay?!"

"Get in the car, now!"

"Calm down, everything's fine!"

"No, everything is not fine! Get in the car!"

"Get in the car now!"

The bickering stopped once another whip of green energy sliced off the top of the car. Blacklash had woken up, and was not in the best of moods. Tony turned to Pepper and reached for the suitcase in her arms. Thinking quickly, she threw it at his feet and it started to open.

First, it clamped around his feet, then two handles popped up, which he gripped tightly. He pulled half of the case up to his chest, letting it expand over his body. At last his helmet covered up his face, and Tony Jordan had once again become Emerald Man.

He used his foot to push Pepper and Happy to safety, and then he turned to face Blacklash. He raised his arm to blast him, but a green whip had knocked his hand away. He tried again with his other arm, but Blacklash had successfully whipped the blast away. Emerald Man created a green shield around his body, blocking the powerful blows of each energy whip.

Suddenly, a ball of fire hit Blacklash directly in the chest, burning away the black leather to reveal his muscular frame.

"You like that, punk?!" Firehawk had recovered and was advancing towards the Russian villain.

Ronnie continued to create balls of fire, throwing them at the enraged villain. But each time, Blacklash was able to deflect the young hero's blasts. Fortunately, Emerald Man recovered and began to assist his protégé by adding his own blasts of green energy. At first, Emerald Man hoped that if they hit him hard enough, they'd rupture his weapons' energy source and take him out of the fight.

But Blacklash's anger gave him strength. He flicked both of his energy whips around their necks, bringing the two heroes to their knees. He laughed manically as he increased the power in his batons, at any minute he could burn through their armor. If he had breached Ronnie's armor, it could cause the radiation to leak out and kill everyone at S.T.A.R. Labs, Emerald Man couldn't let that happen.

"Aya…" he groaned. "Divert all power to energy resistance!"

"Command confirmed." The feminine program responded.

"Now, let's kick his ass!" Emerald Man wrapped his arm around the energy whip, bringing him closer towards him. Once he was directly in front of Blacklash, he slammed the front of his helmet into his enemy's head. After Ivan collapsed to the ground, Tony reached to the back of Ivan's suit and pulled out the energy supply, deactivating the energy whips and freeing Ronnie.

"You okay, boss?" Ronnie asked as he untangled the depowered wires around his neck.

"I'll survive." Tony retracted his mask and crushed the energy source in his palm. "Pepper?! Pepper, are you alright?!" He rushed to the car as quickly as he could, while Dr. Stein and Dr. Richards hurried over to Ronnie to evaluate the damage done to his suit. At last, Pepper opened the car door, helping Happy limp to safety.

"Are you guys okay?" Tony asked, placing a hand on Pepper's shoulder.

"He'll be alright." Pepper left Happy in the hands of the paramedics and turned her attention to her boss. "You've gotta worry about yourself, Mr. Jordan."

"I worry about myself when I'm finished worrying about you…" Tony brushed Pepper's cheek.

"Ugh…" Ronnie rolled his eyes. "You guys are worse than the kids at my old school."

* * *

 **Later**

It didn't take long for the S.W.A.T. team to arrive and bring Hand into custody. He had remained silent for nearly half of the ride before his gaze fell upon one of his guards.

("Is your father still alive, Officer… Thompson? Badge 2346.")

"Shut up, convict." The guard spat in Ivan's face.

("I was forced to _kill_ my father by the man you call a hero.")

"I _said_ shut up!" now the guard was pointing his gun at him. "Besides, I don't speak Russian."

("If that same man made you kill _your father_ , Badge 2346, would you still consider him a hero?")

"That's it! Hammer's _right_ , foreigners _are_ ruining this country!" he unsheathed his nightstick and held it over Ivan's head. " I'm gonna count to three, and then I'm gonna knock the _shit_ out of you! One… Two…Three-!"

Suddenly, the car crashed into something, knocking everyone to the ground. The guards quickly got back up, aiming their guns at the door. They heard the driver and the passenger shooting at something, then they heard them screaming in agony. The readied their weapons as two fists ripped through the doors and peeled them open. The guards were surprised to see that it was a woman dressed in some kind of jungle garb.

"Stand down, bitch!" They both shot at her, but her skin suddenly changed into the same steel as the doors, and the bullets bounced off of her skin.

She ripped the guards to shreds, picked up Ivan, and flicked him in the back of the head, rendering him unconscious.

When Ivan woke up, he noticed that he wasn't laying on some kind of prison mattress, but a comfortable queen-sized bed. He pushed himself up onto his elbows so he could get a good view of his surroundings. The room was decorated with elegant paintings of angels fighting demons, and on the nightstand next to him, was a young boy hugging a beautiful woman.

"Mr. Hand?" Ivan turned his attention to the doorway. Standing there was a beautiful young woman dressed in a neat suit. "My employer would like to speak to you now." She led Ivan down a hallway that was covered with a blinding white light. Finally, they came to an elegant dining room. Sitting at the table was the woman in the jungle garb, and a smartly dressed man.

"Ah, how wonderful!" the man got up and shook Ivan's hand enthusiastically. "Our guest has arrived! Mr. Hand, please, take a seat. Mercy, you too, you deserve to try this."

Ivan sat down next to the woman who had freed him.

"Now, I'm not entirely sure what kind of foods you like, so I just had the chef cook the finest of all Russian cuisine. We have beef stroganoff, caviar, dressed herring, kasha, as well as many other delightful dishes, paskha for dessert, and the finest brand of vodka."

Growing up in poverty, Ivan had never seen so much food on one table in his entire life. Hunger overcame him, and he dug his fingers into the closest dish and shoved it into his mouth. The man decided to silence himself until Ivan was finished. Once the starved Russian had taken a break to catch his breath, the man started again.

"Ooooookay… well, Mr. Hand, my name is Maxwell Von Havoc, and I have a proposition for you. I have read up about you. Despite not having enough money to afford a real education, you have a real knack for engineering. Those weapons you created are remarkable. And, I completely agree with you; what Howard Jordan did to your father was… it was completely unfair. People of talent deserve to be _rewarded_ not _punished_. I have people who saw what you did. Confronting Emerald Man with technology that is nearly _identical_ to his own? The _good thing_ about that was it was a beautiful use of irony. But… the _bad thing_ about it was… it was _tactically sloppy._ We're actually not all that different, you and I. We are both highly intelligent men with some kind of so-called 'super-hero' ruining our lives with their very existence. In fact, the only difference between you and I that I can _think of_ , is that _I_ have _resources_. I am willing to _share_ , to make you go from Blacklash into a… a _Black Dynamo_. I would like to propose a partnership… well, actually, I'm trying to assemble a team of people like you and I, who could wipe out the Justice Legion of Avengers. You've already met Absorba, and soon _others_ will join us. So, what do you say?"

"Heh," Ivan chuckled. ("Well, first of all, Mr. Von Havoc, I'm flattered that you've gone to all this trouble to help me. And you are right, the Justice Legion of Avengers… they act as if they are some kind of protectors. They _flaunt_ their abilities, they _destroy_ our lives, and they don't even _notice_. I accept your offer. _Black Dynamo_ … I like the sound of that.")

Everyone stared at Ivan with blank expressions before Max rubbed his face out of embarrassment. "Oh my… oh, I'm so _sorry_. I was rambling so much, I didn't even bother to _ask;_ do you… do you _speak English?_ Because I don't… I don't even know if you've understood a single word I just said. I could get a translator."

"I accept." Ivan smiled, this time speaking in English.

"You accept!" Max half-exclaimed, half-laughed.

"I accept!" Ivan said again.

"This is great! Isn't this great?!" Max smiled at Mercy and Absorba. "Once we gather our remaining members… we shall become _masters_ of this world, who are certain to bring about the Justice Legion's _doom_." Max raised his glass of vodka to Ivan's, and sealed their partnership.

 **To Be Continued!**

* * *

 **Based on a recent review, it has come to my attention that you may not know who my characters are supposed to be. So, from now on, I will leave lists describing them, but for now, here's a list of all my characters who have been introduced:**

 **From Ch. 1 & 2**

 **The Flag aka Steve Allen(Captain America/The Flash)**

 **Kid-Flag aka Wally Barnes(Bucky/Kid-Flash)**

 **Amanda Fury(Nick Fury/Amanda Waller)**

 **Sharon West(Sharon Carter/Iris West)**

 **Speedster-Man aka Bart Parker(Spider-Man/Impulse)**

 **Black Cat aka Selina Romanoff(Black Widow/Catwoman)**

 **Baron Zero aka Lenard Zemo(Baron Zemo/Captain Cold)**

 **Blazer aka Mick Schultz(The Shocker/Heat Wave)**

 **From Ch. 3 & 4**

 **Thunder Woman aka Diana Blake(Thor/Wonder Woman)**

 **Delta-Ray Donna(Beta-Ray Bill/Donna Troy)**

 **John Foster(Jane Foster/Steve Trevor)**

 **Absorba aka Carla 'Crusher' Creel(Absorbing Man/Giganta)**

 **Minerva the Enchantress(Enchantress/Cheetah)**

 **Circi(Loki/Circe)**

 **From Ch. 5 & 6**

 **Hyperman aka Kal-Ran aka Kent Milton(Hyperion/Superman)**

 **Marvelgirl aka Kara Zor-Ran aka Karen Danvers(Captain Marvel/Supergirl)**

 **Ayesha Abdallah(Honestly she's just a parody of Jimmy Olsen)**

 **Maxwell Von Havoc(Dr. Doom/Lord Havoc & Lex Luthor)**

 **Renegade aka Anne Marie Jones(Rogue/Parasite)**

 **Ch. 7 & 8**

 **Emerald Man aka Tony Jordan(Iron Man/Green Lantern)**

 **Col. John Rhodes(War Machine/Green Lantern)**

 **Simon Hammer(Justin Hammer/Simon Stagg)**

 **Dr. Reed Stein(Reed Richards/Martin Stein)**

 **Dr. Harrison Richards(Reed Richards/Harrison Wells)**

 **Firehawk aka Ronnie Powell(Darkhawk/Firestorm)**

 **Blacklash aka Black Dynamo aka Ivan Hand(Ivan Vanko/William Hand)**

 **Pepper Ferris(Pepper Potts/Carol Ferris)**

 **Happy Gardner(Happy Hogan/Guy Gardner)**


	9. The Blind Knight part 1

**I'm sorry I haven't updated lately. My dad died just recently and I'm still taking it pretty hard. But, the show must go on.**

 **Chapter V: The Blind Knight Part 1**

It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born. Sometimes these beginnings are caused through careful planning, and crucial decisions. But more than often, these beginnings are caused by sheer accident… or tragedy.

 **Gotham City, NJ. 1969**

Jack Wayne; former heavy-weight boxer and current M.D. was Gotham's most successful resident, using his fortune to support his city by helping clean up its tarnished reputation by rebuilding medical facilities and supporting housing projects. He and his wife, Martha, were just heading home from a rousing action-thriller movie, along with their eight-year old son, Matthew. The film had ended earlier than expected, so the Waynes had to wait patiently for their loyal butler to come pick them up.

Suddenly, a dark figure emerged from the shadows, revealing a pistol from his coat. Jack extended his arm in front of his family in hopes of protecting them. When the mugger asked for Martha's pearl necklace, Jack lifted his fist in preparation to strike. After a thunderous noise from the gun's barrel, Matthew watched in horror as his father's lifeless body fell to the cold ground.

Martha turned to her son, hoping that he would be safe. She turned back to the mugger, and the last thing she saw was his gun directly pointed at her chest. Another loud bang echoed throughout the streets of the city, and the young Matt Wayne ran for his life. The mugger had chased him into the newly built chemical plant, Matt didn't know which way he was going, and he tripped. Before he hit the ground, his arm had knocked into a nearby table. Numerous bottles of chemicals crashed around Matt and his attacker. The mugger ran away, but one bottle in particular shattered on Matt's face, and its contents seeped into his eyes.

When he awoke, Matt's world was complete darkness. He tried to force his eyes open, but there was nothing but blackness. After what felt like an excruciating eternity, Matt soon realized that his eyes were open, but he just couldn't see. Matthew Wayne, the last of the Wayne family, was blind.

After his parents' funeral, Matt was left in the care of his family's faithful butler, Jarvis Pennyworth. When they arrived home, Matt swore vengeance upon the injustice done to his parents, and to use his inheritance to ensure Gotham's safety. What happened next came as a shock to both Matt and Jarvis.

Jarvis was carrying up a tray with Matt's dinner, when Matt could have sworn he heard something. It was a faint creaking noise that began to grow louder. As the sound increased, Matt began to see red lines forming around the familiar solid objects in his room, creating some form of sonar-effect. Finally, it focused around the source of the noise; one of the chandeliers' chain was about to break and Jarvis was about to walk under it. Acting quickly, Matt pushed Jarvis out of the way just in time.

Matt decided to hone this ability so that he could use it to his advantage. After spending years traveling around the world, pushing his mind and body to their peak, he returned to Gotham, started a law firm to fight crime during the day, and created a secret laboratory under Wayne Manor so that he could begin fighting crime at night.

But in order to be an effective crime fighter, Matt would need more than special sonar-vision and martial arts. He needed a symbol that would strike fear into the hearts of superstitious and cowardly criminals. One night, Matt walked out onto the mansion's balcony, asking his father for an answer. His breath steadied, taking in the sounds that surrounded him; every drop of rain, every rumble of thunder in the distance, and every creaking noise inside his family's home. Suddenly, his sonar locked onto the flapping wings of a bat as it perched itself onto the gargoyle that had supposedly protected the Wayne family for years.

"Yes, father…" he said. "I know what I must become…"

* * *

 **Gotham City, NJ. Present Day**

"Shhh, its okay… we're here to take _care of you_ …"

Oswald Fisk's men were stationed at the railroad, watching over the latest 'recruits' for their sex-trafficking operation. These young women had been taken from their homes and families to be used as Fisk's newest employees at his underground sex-shop. His men were growing impatient as they waited for the transport, and the more impatient they became, the hornier they became.

"I don't know about _you boys_ …" one said as he put down his gun and unzipped his pants. "But I think Emperor Penguin owes us a _bonus_ …" The sleazy henchman licked his teeth as he grabbed one of the sobbing women by her hair. His friends watched with interest as he finished removing his pants, and slowly reached for the woman's undergarments.

Suddenly, the thug let go of the woman and doubled back, screaming in pain.

"Yo, Jimmy, what's wrong, man?"

"My arm, there's something in my _arm!_ "

Another man shone a flashlight on his arm, revealing a sliver shuriken stuck in the man's arm, possibly stuck in his bone. Just then, the man holding the flashlight fell to the ground and was pulled into the darkness, leaving only two men left to fight. They tried to steady themselves, pointing their guns in every direction. Until at last, one of them fell to the ground.

Standing above his unconscious body was a six-foot tall man dressed in a gray body suit. He wore red boots and gloves with bladed vambraces. A metallic belt glistened around his waist and a dark red cape covered his back, connected to a cowl with short, curved horns and no eye-slits. The last thug trembled as the dark figure walked over to him and picked him up by the collar.

"Where is he!?" the figure's voice was deep and menacing. "Where was Fisk sending these women!?"

"I-I don't know! We were only supposed to look after 'em until the train showed up! He didn't tell us where they were goin'! I swear to God!"

"Swear to _me!_ "

" _Y-you!_ I swear to _you_ , I don't know! Listen, man, I can't go back to jail, please!"

"Do I look like a cop!?" the figure threw the thug onto the ground and stomped on his arm.

"Wh-what the hell are you…?"

"I'm _Gargoyle_ …" Matt growled as he heard the sound of a gun's hammer being pulled back. He turned around to find that one thug had recovered and took one of the women hostage.

"Back off…" He stuttered. Gargoyle took two steps toward him before the thug tried again. "I said _back off!_ I'll _kill her_ … _believe me_ , man, I'll do it!"

Gargoyle remained silent for a few moments before his scowl grew wider. With a flick of his wrist, he sent another shuriken at the thug's hand, knocking away the gun. Then in one single motion, he leapt into the air and knocked him onto the tracks, leaving the woman free to run away. "I believe you…"

Gargoyle kneeled down to where he could look the thug in the eyes. "I want you to send your boss a message. He needs to stop this… _right now_ …"

"You have any idea who yer talkin' about?" the thug chuckled. "Emperor Penguin is _invincible_. He can't be _touched_. Or _intimidated_."

"But _you_ can…" Gargoyle smirked as he sensed the vibrations coming from the tracks. The thug looked up, wincing as a bright light grew closer towards them. Suddenly, he began to panic as he heard a horn echo throughout the railway yard.

"Do you see that light?" Gargoyle sneered as the thug begged for help. "That's not _heaven_ … that's your boss's _delivery train!_ "

* * *

 **Later That Morning**

"This is Vickie Page of Gotham Gazette reporting to you live from Gotham's railway yard. Earlier this morning, a night watchman spotted four men who willingly confessed to aiding and abetting an illegal human trafficking operation and begging to be placed in custody. When questioned, one of the women who was saved from the horrible crime described their savior as; 'a man dressed as a demon.' This leads us to believe that the legendary Gargoyle remains ever vigilant after thirty years of fighting crime in Gotham."

Matt listened to the young reporter as Jarvis poured a glass of strong vodka and handed it to his master.

"That will be all, sir?" Jarvis asked. "I pray the next generation of Waynes won't be inheriting an empty wine cellar… not that there's likely to _be_ a next generation."

"That'll be all, Jarvis, thank you." Matt said as he took the glass.

"That was a very good thing you did for those young women, Mister Wayne."

"Thank you, Jarvis. Although, I recall having to _remind you_ to alert the authorities by the time I got back. You're getting _slow_ in your old age, Jarvis."

The butler chuckled. "Time gets the better of us _all_ , Mister Wayne. Even _you've_ grown too old to die young." Jarvis' smile quickly turned to a sour frown. "Though not for a lack of _trying_." Jarvis set the bottle on the counter and returned to Matt with more news. "Additionally, Mister Wayne, I spoke with Mister Richard Murdock over the phone earlier. He's visiting the city for the weekend, and I thought, perhaps, you'd want to catch up with him."

"No, Jarvis…" Matt said sternly. "We both agreed; he's better off without me in his life. He was a good partner, but his heart wasn't in it. He doesn't need me to try and drag him back into it. He has a family, friends, I might even say I _envy_ him."

"If you insist. I merely thought it would be nice to speak with the original _Dare_ once again… especially after what happened to Master Castle."

Just the mention of that name made Matt's heart ache. Jason Castle's family was caught in the middle of a violent shootout between the Purple Mask's gang and Scar-Face's gang. His father was the first to be shot, falling on top of Jason and shielding him from the criminals. Jason watched as his sister and mother were gunned down in front of him. Gargoyle showed up and chased the gangs away, leaving him alone with the traumatized boy.

Matt took him in, taught him everything he knew, and molded him into a perfect fighter. Jason became Dare; the Boy Demon. Together, he and Gargoyle kept the streets of Gotham safe, but eventually, tragedy struck again. Jason's recklessness became a weakness, a weakness that was soon exploited by Gargoyle's arch-enemy: The Slaughter.

The Slaughter had kidnapped Jason, bringing him to an abandoned warehouse just outside of Gotham. Slaughter beat Jason to the brink of death, and then left him locked inside the warehouse with a time-bomb. By the time Gargoyle reached the warehouse, it was too late. Gargoyle would later hunt Slaughter down and nearly killed him. Slaughter was taken to the Asylum, and Gargoyle once again had to defend Gotham alone.

"Jason was only _thirteen_ , Jarvis. Ten years after his death, and I still haven't come close to ridding Gotham of its scum. Nothing's changed."

"No, Matthew." Jarvis said bluntly as he turned on several secluded computer screens. " _Everything's_ changed." Matt could hear the reports of the other super-beings, and his sonar-vision made it seem as if they were all right in front of him. "Soldiers lost in time, rich men with suits of armor, aliens with limitless power, gods who hurl thunderbolts, human beings born with incredible abilities. You are no longer _alone_ in this, Matthew. Perhaps it is time to rethink Director Fury's offer."

Jarvis walked out of the room, leaving Matt alone to consider his butler's suggestion.

* * *

 **The Next Day. Gotham High School for the Deaf**

Tim Lopez was one of the best honor students in the entire state of New Jersey. He had been a straight-A student since Kindergarten, taken several electives, joined many clubs, and acted as captain of the school's gymnast team.

But he was also one of the most generous people in New Jersey. He spent most of his free time working in soup kitchens, building sustainable housing for the poor, and helping the disabled. Currently he was assisting one of the teachers at Gotham's High School for the Deaf. He had studied ASL for a few months, and today the teacher wanted him to take students and hold conversations with them one-by-one.

"My name is Tim. Who are you?" He said slowly as he showed his first student each careful hand movement. He loved this job, it gave him a chance to make new friends and put a few miles on his soul before he headed off to college in a few years. He was enjoying his time until the girl across from him started to panic. At first he thought she had just forgotten a word, but he finally deciphered what she was saying with her frantic movements: "Look out."

Tim turned around and immediately turned back to throw the girl and himself to the ground. A grenade hit the window and blew a hole in the wall. Luckily, no one was harmed, but a group of armed men soon surrounded the students and faculty. Tim was terrified as one of the men grabbed him and pulled him to his feet. ("The perimeter is clear, Comrade.")

The last man to enter the building stood over six feet tall. He wore rugged cargo pants and a white Kevlar vest with three red stripes across the chest. His left forearm was amputated and replaced with some kind of mechanized firearm, and he wore a black mask with a hammer and sickle over his face. He was speaking Russian as he pointed his uncanny weapon at the students in a menacing fashion. His voice was deep and menacing, emphasizing every other word as if he were threatening them.

Right now, Tim was wishing he had chosen Russian as a foreign language to learn. The mercenary took out his radio and spoke to one of his men. ("Bolonsky, report.") No one answered. ("Bolonsky? Come in, Bolonsky…") Still nothing. The Soviet motioned for his men to let go of the hostages and follow him. They all walked outside, prepared to engage. Tim listened closely to try and figure out what was happening. Suddenly, many of the men were screaming in agony as he heard someone attacking them. Ignoring the teacher's instructions, Tim got up, poked his head out of the hole, and his eyes became as wide as saucers.

The Soviet was firing his arm-mounted weapon into the air in an attempt to kill his opponent.

"The Gargoyle… he's here." Tim breathed as he saw the Dark Daredevil pounce onto the Russian mercenary. An excited smile spread over Tim's face as he watched with interest. "And… he is _awesome_ …"

 **To Be Continued!**

* * *

 **Gargoyle aka Matthew Wayne(Daredevil/Batman)**

 **Jarvis Pennyworth(Edwin Jarvis/Alfred Pennyworth)**

 **Richard Murdock aka Dare(Daredevil/Nightwing)**

 **Jason Castle aka Dare II(Frank Castle/Jason Todd)**

 **Tim Lopez(Echo/Tim Drake)**

 **Vickie Page(Karen Page/Vickie Vale)**

 **Emperor Penguin aka Oswald Fisk(Kingpin/Penguin)**

 **The Purple Mask aka Roman Killgrave(Purple Man/Black Mask)**

 **Scar-Face aka Harvey Russo(Jigsaw/Two-Face)**

 **The Soviet(The Russian/KGBeast)**

 **The Slaughter(Carnage/The Joker)**

 **And she wasn't introduced in this chapter, but I'll go ahead and tell you who the President is going to be in this Fanfiction of mine. Drum roll, please?**

 **Catlin Walters(Jen Walters/Catlin Fairchild)**

 **I am also going to make her _a Native American_** **President… it could happen.**


	10. The Blind Knight part 2

**Chapter V: The Blind Knight Part 2**

 **Gotham City, NJ. 2006.**

Jason Castle was summing this up to be the second worst day of his life. One of his kneecaps was nearly shattered, his left arm was broken, his vision was blurred from his black eye, and the Slaughter was standing right above him, holding a crowbar.

" _Wow_ , that looked like it hurt." The madman said with mock sympathy before hitting the blunt of the crowbar against Jason's chin. The teen groaned and coughed up a pint of blood. "No, wait, _that_ looked like it hurt a _lot more_ …" Slaughter's twisted smile grew wider, revealing his sharpened teeth.

Jason craned his head to face the psychotic villain. He tried to speak but his vocal chords had suffered severe damage. Slaughter knelt down, grabbed him by the hair, and pulled his head back so they'd be face-to-face. "A little _louder_ , lamb chop. I think you may have a collapsed lung." Jason sneered and spat onto Slaughter's face. The red-skinned villain angrily slammed Jason's head into the cold floor.

"Now _that_ was rude." He said as he pulled a white handkerchief out of his coat pocket to wipe away the blood. "The first Boy Blunder had _manners_." Jason turned himself over to reveal his own blood-stained smile. "I suppose I'll have to teach you some so that you can better follow in his example." Slaughter paused before he smiled again. "Nah, I'm just gonna keep beating you with this crowbar." He planted his foot on the side of Jason's head and laughed maniacally as he looked into the teen's fear-filled eyes.

Meanwhile, Gargoyle was driving his specially made automobile in a desperate rush to find his young ward. The vehicles engine was designed to vibrate at a specific frequency that would allow his sonar-vision to 'see' where he was going. When his on-board computer finally led him to an abandoned warehouse, he didn't hesitate to leap out of the vehicle and rush to his partner's aid.

But before he could get within three yards of the entrance, the explosion knocked him backwards onto the vehicle's windshield. Despite the ringing in his ears, and his sonar-vision being barely functional, he pressed on. He was determined not to fail one of the most loyal people he had ever known. Desperately shifting through the rubble, Gargoyle's skin began to blister until he finally found what he was looking for.

"No…" Gargoyle whimpered as he picked up the body. "Jason…" He had failed again, but this time, the cost was higher. His son was dead.

* * *

 **Gotham City, NJ. Present day.**

Despite the horrifying circumstances, Tim Lopez was summing this up to be the best day of his life. Just a moment ago, he was teaching ASL to deaf students, and now he was watching a Russian mercenary called the Soviet being beaten up by the Gargoyle. As in, the most badass superhero in the entire world.

Tim had been a fan of the Dark Daredevil ever since he was a little kid. He had seen him on the news bulletins, read about him in the papers, and even made several attempts to try and deduce his secret identity. Now Tim had finally gotten the chance to see his idol in action. And, even though everyone else had evacuated the premises, he stayed behind to watch the fight.

Gargoyle, however, was not very amused. He was supposed to call Director Fury to discuss the terms and conditions of his admission to the Justice Legion of Avengers. But instead, he was now fighting a Russian mercenary in an abandoned worksite next to a high school. He knew he needed to end this quickly before anyone got seriously injured, or worse.

As Gargoyle parried each blow the Soviet advanced with, his strategic mind was studying his fight pattern. He knocked his enemy's arm to the side, and with a powerful thrust, he severely damaged the custom arm-weapon. But the Soviet was still well-equipped, and was more than a match for Gargoyle's physical prowess. As Matt continued to block the advancing blows, as well as put in a few good jabs himself, Jarvis communicated with him through an ear-piece.

"Mister Wayne, don't let him get too close to you! He's in his _prime_ ; he has speed on his side!"

"Yes, thank you for the commentary, Jarvis. It's not distracting me _at all_." Gargoyle replied, sarcastically. But Jarvis wasn't wrong; the Soviet was, at least, twenty years younger than him. That gave his opponent a slight advantage, which he demonstrated with a quick blow to Gargoyle's jaw.

Matt staggered back, trying not to let his enemy get the upper hand. Once he was able to shift his focus back onto the Soviet, Matt jumped into the air and kicked him in the ribcage. The Soviet buckled in pain, leaving himself open to another right jab into the chin. Matt felt his chances were beginning to improve, until his opponent caught his fist. Matt was pulled down and received a devastating head-clap from the Soviet.

It hadn't killed him, but everything blurred. Matt's sonar-vision began to go haywire. He couldn't tell what was happening. Unfortunately, the Soviet advanced with another powerful blow to his chest. Then, he sent Matt flying through the air with a strong uppercut blow. Tim was shocked as he saw the protector of his city go down. He wanted to help, but he didn't know how. But when he looked down and saw something glistening on the ground, Tim realized what he needed to do. He picked up the glistening object, tore off a piece of his sweatshirt, wrapped it around his face, and rushed into the worksite.

The Soviet wrapped his hand around Gargoyle's throat, and began to slam his fist into the hero's face. Each blow made Gargoyle's sonar-vision worse; he was more blind than he ever had been. The Soviet took off his mask and leaned in closer. ("I guess this is good bye.") He reached behind his back and held a pistol to the hero's head. ("And when we say good bye… we _die_ a little inside.")

But before he could pull the trigger, something had knocked him down. He fired off two shots in self defense before he stood back up. His eyes darted from side-to-side, surveying the construction site to find what had hit him. If he had looked up, he would have seen a young Latino boy in a make-shift mask, an over-sized safety vest, and swinging from a suspension bar.

"Gymnastics, don't fail me now." Tim dropped down behind the Soviet and kicked the back of his knee. Then, he quickly jumped over him so that he could look him in the eye. "Stop me if you've heard this one…" He said before punching the Russian thug in the face and cart wheeling out of sight. "Two guys walk into a bar…" The Soviet quickly stood up, only to be knocked down again by a steel pipe. "You'd think the second guy would've _ducked!_ " Tim laughed as he back-flipped to a safe distance.

Meanwhile, Matt was trying to get up. His sonar was still disrupted, but it was slowly getting better. As he tried to get up, pain rippled throughout his body. He deduced that he had several broken bones in his left arm, as well as a fractured tibia in his left leg, possibly even some internal bleeding. Nevertheless, he forced himself up onto his feet, trying to figure out what had happened to the Soviet. As he propped himself up against a wall, he heard some kind of struggle going on about twenty feet in front of him.

At last, his sonar had fully recovered, allowing him to get an idea of what was going on. His sonar showed the Soviet was fighting someone else. The sounds made from the weight of their footsteps indicated they were a little over five feet tall, their heartbeat was going at a pace similar to a person in their early adolescence, and Matt could have sworn he heard a flapping noise similar to the sound of the loose ties of a mask.

"Dare…? J-Jason…?" He muttered to himself.

As much as Tim was enjoying himself, he needed to end this fight quickly. But the Soviet refused to go down. It wasn't long before he finally knocked the pipe out of the young boy's hands, and grabbed him by the neck.

"Normally, killing children is _beneath_ me. But for you, I shall make an _exception_."

"O-oh… so, you _c-can_ speak English…" Tim choked.

"And after I've killed the Gargoyle, victory shall be mine!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, I hope you can enjoy your victory with _one, freakin' eye!_ " In a blur of motion, Tim grasped the shuriken he had found earlier, and jammed it into the Soviet's left eye. Despite the searing pain, the Soviet tightened his grip around Tim's neck.

Matt felt fear rush through his entire being. His body was still in pain, but his spirit prevented him from letting the Soviet take another life. As he fumbled with his utility belt, he could hear the boy's breaths begin to shorten; soon they would stop altogether.

Finally, he found what he was searching for, and with his last ounce of strength, threw it directly at the Soviet. The pellet struck the villain's cheek, and a thick, sticky substance covered his mouth and nostrils. On instinct, he dropped the boy, and tried to peel the sticky substance off of himself. He fell to his knees, his head felt dizzy, and he finally collapsed to the ground, struggling and twitching until he suffocated.

Matt also collapsed; his energy fully drained. The last thing his sonar showed him, before blacking out, was a young boy running towards him. As he began to slip into unconsciousness, he thought about Jason, and how much he had missed him.

"Please, don't be dead! Please, don't be dead! Please, don't be dead!" Tim skidded over to Gargoyle and pressed two fingers against his wrist. "Oh, thank God…" Tim sighed with relief. "Now, _get up!_ " Tim noticed Gargoyle was reaching for a small black remote with a red button on it. Tim picked it up, pressed the button, and in a flash of light, a strange vehicle was sitting before them.

Tim gathered up all of his strength, and lifted Gargoyle into the vehicle. "Well done, young man. Now, please, run along." An elderly man's voice came from the radio, but Tim ignored it and climbed into the passenger seat before the vehicle took off. Tim was amazed by the incredible technology in the vehicle, but a cough from Gargoyle drew his attention.

"Who are you?" Gargoyle stammered. "What's your name?"

"T-Tim… Tim Lopez." He stuttered. But as he brushed his hand against his mask, he felt a rush of courage in his heart. He looked back at his hero and spoke confidently. "Dare."

For a while, Gargoyle said nothing. Then, he took off his own mask, revealing his pale eyes to the young boy. "Mine's… Matt."

"Sir, you are delirious!" the old man's voice came again. "I suggest you keep quiet until I can properly pilot you to a hospital."

"No, Jarvis! No hospital, take me to the cave."

"But, sir!"

" _The cave!_ " Gargoyle coughed violently, prompting Tim to hold him down so he wouldn't hurt himself. "And… Dare… comes with us…"

Tim felt his excitement increase exponentially. He was going to see the Gargoyle's secret hide-out. As they rushed through the streets of Gotham at an incredible speed, Tim was trying to keep Matt awake. "Hey, c'mon, man. Stay with me! Talk about something! Like, uh, what do you call this car?"

"… Dick… called it… the _Gargomobile_ … something a… a _kid_ would say."

"I _like_ it." When they arrived at the cave, Jarvis wasted no time in getting Matt onto a gurney and racing to the medical portion of the cave. In the meantime, Tim was ordered to stay at the Gargomobile until he was told otherwise. While he waited, he decided to make a quick phone call.

("Hi, mom. Yes, I'm fine, we, uh, got evacuated when Gargoyle showed up to help. Aw, man, you should've seen it, it was _so awesome_ … Yes, I _am_ in the city right now… yes, I _will_ get home as soon as I can… okay… _okay_ , love you, too. Bye.")

He hung up and waited patiently before Jarvis emerged from the shadows. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"He'll pull through. He's _much_ too stubborn to die. I have been ordered to take you home. And I beg you not to tell anyone about this."

"Yes, sir." The drive back to Tim's neighborhood didn't take very long. Soon, Tim was in the arms of his worried mother, assuring her that he was okay. After a quick dinner, Tim kissed his mother goodnight and headed upstairs to his room. When he took off his coat, something fell out of the pocket. It was a remote similar to the one he'd seen earlier with a note taped to it.

 _I'd like to offer you a job. If you're interested, press the button, and we'll stay in contact._

* * *

 **Three Weeks Later**

"I _am_ pleased that you've chosen to accept Director Fury's offer, Mister Wayne." Jarvis began as he finished ironing out Gargoyle's cape. But are you sure about bringing the boy into all of this?"

"Of course, Jarvis." Matt replied as he rotated his arm, trying to ease the still-tender area. "He must have some degree of skill if he was able to hold his own against the Soviet. And there's a program at S.H.I.E.L.D. that'll help train him."

"Very well, I didn't want to bring this up, but you've forced my hand…" Jarvis took a deep breath and went on. "Have you forgotten what happened to Master Castle?"

For a moment, Matt stood motionless, contemplating on previous years. At last, he turned around and took the cape from Jarvis. "I'll _never_ forget what happened to Jason. He was a good partner, and not a day goes by that I don't blame myself for not being able to save him… but the mission isn't over yet."

Gargoyle stood atop the roof of Wayne Industries, valiantly watching over his city. At last Tim arrived, dressed in a tight, red and yellow suit, with a yellow mask over his face. Gargoyle stood up and addressed his new partner.

"Dare, this is what's going to happen…" Dare listened carefully as Gargoyle went on. "We are going to join the Justice Legion of Avengers. But we will still have our own mission to protect this city. If you disobey my orders, or deviate from any of my plans… you're _fired._ "

Dare's grin grew wider than it ever could have.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Watch out for the upcoming three-part story of… THE JUSTICE LEGION OF AVENGERS!**


	11. A Day Unlike Any Other part 1

**Alright people! This is it! Every chapter so far has been leading up to this! So without further ado, I present the first in a THREE-PART CHAPTER of the** _ **JUSTICE LEGION OF AVENGERS!**_

* * *

 **Chapter VI: A Day Unlike Any Other! Part 1**

No living being truly knows how the universe was created, but what a few older beings know, is that when it was created, six singularities came into existence. These singularities each represented one aspect of what the universe is composed of: Power, Reality, Time, Soul, Mind, and Space. Eventually, these singularities took the form of six rings, and were scattered throughout the universe. One of those rings evolved further into the Cosmic Cube.

The Cube had the power of reality itself. It could reveal secrets from the past, or give faint glimpses of the future, create and destroy energy, or, if used by a being strong enough, it could even alter the very fabric of reality, itself. Eventually, the Cube found its way to a planet called Earth, where its power was abused by horrible tyrants. The android hero know as the Human Lantern had stolen the Cube away, and supposedly gave his life to hide it away, were no one would find it. But out there, amongst the stars, someone else has their eyes on the Cube.

* * *

 **The Forsaken Realm:**

Circi, the Greek-Asgardian goddess of evil, was patiently waiting outside of the castle. She had agreed to help the Master of the Banished Gods retrieve the Cosmic Cube from Earth. In return, he would grant her the chance to seek revenge against Asgard. But her alliance with the Banished Gods became strained when she had recently wasted a battalion of fire demons in a failed vendetta against her adopted sister.

While she waited, she thought about her sister, Diana, and all the ways she could try to destroy her. First, she considered using her magic to crawl into her empty skull, slowly driving her mad, but then she might accidentally infect herself with her sister's stupidity. Perhaps she would enhance her own body and face her hand-to-hand, but such a crude tactic made the cunning goddess sick to her stomach. Then, she even considered going after the one mortal Thunder Woman loved more than any other; the foolish John Foster. At last, the wrinkled and weak alien came before her, beckoning for her to follow.

Soon, they entered a giant throne room. Streams of lava faintly illuminated the enormous dwelling, barely revealing the other allies the Master kept close. The windows were open, allowing the sounds of eternal suffering that surrounded the entire realm to fill the gruesome hall. The King of the Banished Gods sat on a suspended throne, dressed in a dark blue tunic and wearing a golden crown. As she looked into his empty, gray eyes, Circi trembled in fear. This being was a creature so sickeningly vile, so immensely powerful, so completely evil, that even the mention of his true name struck fear into the hearts of all living beings. The only safe way to refer to this wretched King of Banished Gods was simply; Darkanos.

"Great Darkanos…" Circi bowed in fearful respect. "I have awaited your decision… will you grant me an army so that I may retrieve this… Cosmic Cube to you…?"

" _No_ …" Darkanos' voice sent shivers down the goddess' spine. "You have already proven yourself _wasteful_ , Greek-Asgardian. I granted you a battalion of fire demons, and you allowed them to be destroyed by lending them to a _mortal witch_ … the deal has _changed_ … I will grant you only the _scepter_ , the rest is up to you… deliver to me the Cosmic Cube, and I shall aid you in your vengeance against those who have deceived you… but, if you fail me again, your screams shall _echo_ throughout the cosmos…"

The shriveled alien approached Circi, handing her a golden spear with a glowing crystal at its tip. Circi bowed again, and hastily made her way out. As she flew above the Forsaken Realm, she began to strategize her attack on Earth. Without an army, her task would be much more difficult, considering the amount of enhanced beings that foolishly wasted their powers on safeguarding the Earth.

Circi gazed at the scepter in her palms. Supposedly, it had the power to allow its user to control the minds of living beings. This gave her an idea; if Darkanos would not lend her an army, she would build her own on Earth. Circi focused the powersof the scepter to create an astral projection of herself, and sent it out, not only to find the Cube, but to find suitable minions for her quest.

The Cosmic Cube was easy enough to find. The hard part was finding an army, as the humans were like herds of sheep waiting to be slaughtered. There were only so few of them who tried to use their gifts to take their rightful place as masters of this world. But to her surprise, she not only found the kind of people she was looking for, but they were all gathered together by the mortals who feared their strengths.

Some of these mortals relied upon automations, while others had power inside of them. But what Circi loved most about them, was that they were all truly evil. This gave her an idea, if she could free these mortals, she could use the scepter to control their minds, and give her a chance at retrieving the Cube. All it would take is for her to get close enough to them to inflict its spell upon them, and they wouldn't even know they were under her control. With a sinister chuckle, she made her way to Earth.

* * *

 **Washington D.C.**

Two weeks had passed since Steve Allen had been brought back to the land of the living. At first, he had been skeptical and unsure about the current state of the country he fought for, but now he was building up the courage to try and improve it. Right now, he was at a press conference at the nation's capitol to give a few words about his plans for the future. Several members of Congress, the candidates for presidency, and hundreds of reporters were eager to hear what he had to say.

"I understand many of you see me as some kind of great hero, I also understand some of you see me as a relic from a time long forgotten. But the truth is I'm just a proud American man trying to do his best to protect this country. That's why I am joining the Justice Legion of Avengers; to take on foes that no single hero can withstand. I look forward to serving beside these men and women to protect not only America, but the entire word as well."

Once the cheering quieted down, the Flag started to take questions from the reporters. His first choice was a dark haired woman in a sharp suit.

"Lois Brant of the _Daily Times_." She began. "Flag, you say that you wish to improve America, a lot of people are wondering if that extends to politics, so will you please tell us who _you_ think is best suited to win presidency this year's election?"

"I'm actually glad you asked that, Ms. Brant." Flag smiled. "I have studied each candidate, read their policies, and chosen my vote very carefully. And I am relived to say that after going through many… _unsuitable_ … candidates, I have found at least one person who is responsible, compassionate, and intelligent enough to become the President of the United States. And right now, I would very much like to shake that person's hand."

Simon Hammer smiled brightly. The Flag was obviously talking about him, so he got up from his seat, and began to walk towards the podium. He was halfway there when the Flag began again.

"So, without further ado, I would like to invite Mrs. Catlin Walters to the podium."

Everyone stood up, some cheered, and others booed, while everyone else was taking pictures. Catlin Walters felt humbled and proud as she gracefully walked over to her hero. The Native American candidate nearly cried as the Flag shook her hand and assured her that she had his vote. Simon Hammer, on the other hand was furious. He grabbed a microphone and began ranting angrily.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! You're gonna support that lying, manipulative bitch over me?! She and the current President are working with terrorists to support wars overseas, and you support her?! Sounds like somebody's on her payroll!"

Hammer stopped talking when he blinked his eyes, and the Flag appeared right in front of him. Hammer, and half the audience, was frozen with fear as the Flag's body cackled with red, white, and blue electricity. The speedster took the microphone from the elderly politician and spoken calmly into it.

"Mr. Hammer… I do not recall speaking to you. That is how diplomacy _works;_ we talk _in turn_. And I don't think a person who insults me when I vote for someone who isn't _himself_ is a person who should be President… so please, take a _seat_ , Mr. Hammer."

Hammer didn't say another word. He sat down quietly as the Flag went back to the podium to answer more questions.

"But Flag," another reporter said. "Mr. Hammer does have a point; how can you support a candidate who supported a war in the Middle-East, only to _withdraw_ our troops years later?"

"You know, that actually reminds me of a story…" Flag leaned forward onto the podium, and everyone listened closely. "I'm sure you've all heard fossils like me talk about Pearl Harbor. The way we tell it, we make it sound like we got up and charged after the Axis Powers right away. The truth is; we lie. We were _scared half to death_. Pearl Harbor was _gone_ , and it could happen again at anytime, anywhere. We felt lost, helpless, lonely… and then we heard _President Roosevelt_ over the radio. His voice was so _strong_ and _reassuring_. He gave us the courage to fight back against the Nazis, and make it easier for our families to sleep at night. He's the reason I signed up for the program that turned me into the Flag. A few years later, as the war kept on, we heard rumors that Roosevelt _knew_ Pearl Harbor was going to happen, and didn't warn us. I thought about how _horrible_ that would be if it were true, but on the other hand, it's what got us _into_ war to begin with. That rattled around in my head for months, until I finally came to a conclusion: I wasn't the one in charge, I wouldn't have been able to make a decision like that, and it was just… too _big_. _He_ was too big."

Silence fell upon the crowd, until one person finally began to clap. And then, more people stood up and clapped with him, until at no time at all, everyone was cheering for the Flag. The only person who didn't was Simon Hammer, who sat in his chair, sulking at the Flag and all of the sheep he had just led to Walters' side.

* * *

 **One Day Later**

"Seriously, who is going to listen to that guy, right? He's a nobody, his opinion doesn't matter."

"Are you kidding me, Hammer? That man is a _hero!_ "

"He is _not_ a hero! He's a hero because we thought he died. I like people who _don't_ die, okay?"

"Get out of my studio. Guards, get this lunatic out of here now."

"Wait, what? But, I'm not finished! Wait; get your hands off me! Do you have any idea who I am?! LET ME GO, YOU LOSERS!"

Sharon, Steve, and Bart watched as Simon Hammer was finally being called out on live television. After Sharon and Bart congratulated Steve on finally opening America's eyes, Director Fury and Dr. Harrison Richards came up to speak with them.

"That was a wonderful statement yesterday, Herr Flag." Dr. Richards said.

"I'm sorry, sir, have we met?" Steve asked politely.

"Don't sweat it, Flag. You haven't been introduced yet. _This_ is Dr. Harrison Richards, aka the man who saved your life."

"What do you mean?" Steve looked back at the handicapped scientist.

"It is a rather long story," Dr. Richards began. "You see, my team and I had finally created a functioning particle accelerator almost two weeks ago, in an attempt to provide nearly limitless clean energy to this country. But something went wrong and the particle accelerator was destroyed. When the dust cleared, we found you, miraculously alive after so many years."

"How was that possible?" Bart asked, inquisitively.

"Well, my _theory_ is, when Herr Flag defeated the Anti-Watcher in 1945, the cosmic powers that the Watcher possessed began to interfere with his connection to the inter-dimensional force that grants him his super-speed. This caused his body to be converted into living energy that traveled aimlessly through time and space, until it was drawn to the magnetic absorption process of the particle accelerator, which then compressed his atoms together until they could form his original state once again."

"You saved my life?" Steve gratefully shook Dr. Richards' hand "Thank you, for giving me a second chance."

"I was honored to bring back one of the greatest heroes in the world…" Dr. Richards' smile began to fade as he looked down at his wheelchair. "Unfortunately, the explosion caused much… _irreparable_ damage."

"I'm… I'm so _sorry_ , Dr. Richards." Steve said. "If there's anything I can do to help you…"

"Don't even worry about it, Herr Flag." Dr. Richards' smile came back. "I do this _all the time_ , I get upset about my _legs_ , and then I remember that my _mind_ is still intact. I assure you that I have accomplished more than most men, _without_ the use of my legs before."

"Thank you for the story time, Doctor," Director Fury interrupted. "But we need to get down to business."

Steve thanked Dr. Richards one last time, and followed the Director along with Bart. The Director asked them to take a seat and wait for the others. Fortunately it didn't take long for the other members and their protégés to arrive. The two war-time friends, Kent and Steve, gave each other a quick hug, happy to see each other again. Diana and Donna made sure to bow with respect to their new comrades, ready to serve beside them. All of the younger heroes talked excitedly to each other, determined to prove themselves to their teachers. Once everyone was seated, Director Fury spoke.

"Alright, ladies, gentlemen, students… our primary mission is to locate and obtain this…" She pressed a button on her remote, and a screen lowered behind her. A projector emerged from the ceiling and displayed a picture of a glowing blue cube. " _This_ is the Cosmic Cube. Discovered in Poland in 1938, the Nazi's found a way to use its power in 1940. They used its seemingly infinite power to create bombs, guns, and pretty much any weapon you could possibly think of. We learned that the hard way on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese used these weapons on Pearl Harbor. But, thanks to the efforts of the Human Lantern of the Justice Society of Invaders, the Cosmic Cube was stolen away from Benito Mussolini and was lost at sea for more than seventy years. We need to find it."

"So we can _destroy_ it, right?" Steve stood up, his eyes full of concern. "To keep it from falling into the wrong hands?"

"Captain Allen… please understand-" Director Fury hesitated, but the group already knew what she was going to say.

"Are you people serious?" This time, Tony Jordan stood up. "You honestly think it's a good idea to build weapons of mass destruction from something you _barely_ understand?"

"Remind me, again, how you made your fortune, Mr. Jordan." Fury snapped back.

"I agree with Director Fury." Gargoyle pitched in. "This world needs protection from any kind of threat. By any means necessary."

"No way, man!" Firehawk stood up, now. "Just look at what a nuclear reactor did to _me_. Director Fury, if you insist on using something that's even more dangerous than _that_ , you better have a _damn_ good reason!"

Director Fury sighed. She looked around at the collective heroes, and pointed to the strongest amongst them. "Because of _him_."

"... _Me?_ " Hyperman looked surprised. "What did _I_ do?"

"In 1979, a Radonian warlord named General Mar-Zod came to Earth with an army. They used some kind of machine, unlike _anything_ we have ever witnessed. Luckily, Hyperman was able to stop them, but not before the machine completely _leveled_ three-quarters of Metropia and killed tens of _thousands_ of citizens."

"But General Mar-Zod and his forces _were_ defeated." Hyperman defended himself. "Now, Marvelgirl and I are the only Radonians alive."

"But you're not the only ones _out there_ , are you?" Director Fury looked around the room as she went on. "Here's the cold-iron truth; _warlords and monsters_ are out there, somewhere, and we are hopelessly – no, _ridiculously_ – unprotected. One day, _you_ won't be around to protect us, and when that happens, we need to protect ourselves from extraterrestrial threats."

"She's right." Agent Romanoff stated. "If the people can't protect themselves, it's the _government's_ job to do that."

Eventually, Gargoyle, Dare, Marvelgirl, Speedster-Man, Black Cat, and Delta-Ray Donna sided with Director Fury against the others. The argument began to get more heated. Gargoyle and Jordan were a few bad words away from causing an all-out fight. The Flag stood in between them, trying to keep the peace. But before anything could happen between the heroes, an alert came from the intercom.

"Director Fury! There's been a breakout at the Raft!"

"Who's escaped?"

" _Everyone!_ Repeat; _every_ prisoner at the Raft has escaped! They've hijacked the ships and are headed straight towards the mainland!"

Director Fury turned around to face the shocked super-beings. They all knew what kind of villains were being held at the Raft, and they all knew what kind of damage they could cause. "Well, what the hell are ya'll waiting for?!" Fury snapped. "You're supposed to be super-heroes, right!? Get out there and save the day!"

Without further encouragement, the Justice Legion of Avengers exited S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters and headed to southern California.

* * *

 **Meanwhile off the coast of Portugal**

Circi smiled at her own brilliance. With the scepter in her possession, she was controlling the collective subconscious of Earth's super-villains, granting her the distraction she needed to complete her quest. The scepter had also helped her locate the Cosmic Cube, at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Soon, her deal with Darkanos would be fulfilled; she would give him the Cube, and vengeance would be hers!

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Darkanos(Thanos/Darksied) Yes, I know it's been done before. Don't judge me.**

 **General Mar-Zod(Mar-Vell/General Zod)**


	12. A Day Unlike Any Other part 2

**Author's note: In this story, due to the intervention of Thunder Woman, we won the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, it wasn't until 1974, meaning there are still troops who suffered from crippling injuries and PTSD.**

* * *

 **Chapter VI: A Day Unlike Any Other Part 2**

 **Seattle, WA. 1976**

Colonel John Foster and his friend, Diana, were sitting in a bar. The American troops had finally been brought back from Vietnam, after years of painful experience. Since Foster had been given a two week leave from duty, he thought it would be a good idea to visit his childhood home. And much to his delight, the Mighty Thunder Woman had insisted on coming along.

After helping to prevent the Communist takeover in South Vietnam, Diana wanted to learn all about the mortal realm, and start her own life among them. She had even taken up a new identity; Diana Blake. She had been enjoying herself in the Disco Era; the fashion trends, the foods, and the entertainment. Today, however, was all about getting to know her first mortal friend.

"So, I've got a question…" John asked the sexy Greek-Asgardian as he downed another shot. "If your mother and all the other Amazons took _vows of celibacy_ … then, who's your _father?_ "

"I _have_ no father…" Diana answered as she casually drank strong whiskey. "My mother sculpted me out of _enchanted clay_ and presented me to Lord Odin as a _gift_. And then he used his own magic to bring me to life."

"… well, _that's neat_." He said, skeptically.

"What about _your_ father?" Diana asked.

"He's… he's _dead_." Diana looked shocked and saddened. She placed a hand on John's shoulder as he went on. "My mom died when my sister was born, so my dad had to take up two jobs just to support us. He worked _fourteen hours_ a day, _seven days_ a week. In most of my memories of him, he looks so _tired_. But… he _never_ missed any of my baseball games, _never_ missed any of Stacy's dance recitals, _never_ even failed to encourage us to pursue whatever crazy dream either of us had."

"He sounds like an honorable man." Diana smiled softly.

"Yeah, he was a lot like _me_. Well, except for the _sense of humor_." John and Diana chuckled lightly. John couldn't help but smile whenever Diana laughed. When he had crashed on Asgard, he had mistaken her for an angel, but after he had gotten to know her, she might as well have been one. She was as beautiful as an angel ought to be, her armor sparkled in the sunlight as she flew through the sky, and she was always so determined to protect the innocent. As the jukebox in the corner of the bar played a song by Stevie Wonder, John and Diana looked deeply into each other's eyes. "Y'know, my old man may not have been some kinda _Norse god_ , but he was pretty wise. I think the one of the most important lessons he ever taught me was; if a woman is as kind as a saint, as smart as a philosopher, and as tough as a soldier, and she chooses to be with _you_ , odds are, that woman is your _soul mate_."

And then, without warning, Diana kissed John.

* * *

 **Present Day**

Major John Foster was marching alongside his fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as they loaded into their special assault aircrafts. Every agent was armed with non-lethal projectile weapons that would easily neutralize any enemy, as well as special collars that would negate their super-powers. Among those agents were Sharon West, Selina Romanoff, Malcolm Rumlow, and Dorian Quartermane.

As they got up into the sky, the agents were able to get a good look at the Justice Legion of Avengers and their collective protégés rushing to Southern California to confront the super-criminals. Every agent was either a huge fan of the heroes, or they thought they were reckless vigilantes that weren't any better than the criminals they fought. One heroine, in particular, caught Major Foster's eye.

"Give 'em _hell_ , Angel." Foster smiled to himself. But just as the heroes vanished from their sight, another blur of gold and green zipped right past them, going in the opposite direction. Most of the agents hadn't noticed, but Major Foster had seen it as clear as day. He had been kidnapped by it enough times for him to recognize that blur for what it truly was. Acting quickly, Foster rushed over to Director Fury, explained what he had seen, and requested an airship of his own.

 **Southern California**

The residents of West Coast Beach were in a state of panic. Dangerous super-villains had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, ruining their vacations. Some villains had their own powers, others had technology, but they were all causing massive collateral damage. During the confusion, many of the civillians had fallen to the ground, leaving themselves open to being attacked.

The local police arrived and began to fire off warning shots. Unfortunately, the authorities were in way over their heads. Killer Thing, a mutated human with nearly impenetrable skin was either crushing or eating anyone who got in his way. Chen Zmeck, the Radiation Man, fried the policemen on the spot with concentrated microwave blasts. Spinmaster used the razor-blades on his arms to slice through civilians as he spun around at fantastic speeds. And everyone else was causing just as much damage.

"Freeze!" one policeman thought he had cornered two of the criminals in an ally. As he approached them, the one dressed in a purple parka moved his hand to his holster. "I said _freeze!_ "

"As you wish…" Baron Zero smirked and fired his cold gun, encasing the officer in solid ice.

"Ice puns? Really?" Blazer grunted in annoyance at his partner's joke.

"Shut up, and let's get out of here." Zero snapped back.

Just as the two temperature-based criminals got away, the Justice Legion showed up. Despite their desire to capture all of the villains, their first priority was the safety of all civilians. Acting on impulse, the Flag devised a strategy in his mind at super-sonic speed. Once he had formulated the best possible plan, he took charge and gave his orders to his comrades.

"Alright, listen up!" he said, respectfully. The other members had no plan of their own, so they decided to trust the Flag's instincts. "Our main priority is to prevent further loss of life. Speedster-Man, Dare, Marvelgirl, you work with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the police to get these people to safety!"

"Yes, sir!" Speedster-Man responded as he and his amazing friends rushed away.

"Emerald Man, Hyperman, Firehawk, your job is to minimize the collateral damage. You see a building about to go down? You catch it and let it down gentlely."

"Aye, aye, Captain." Emerald Man quipped before he blasted off with the others.

"Gargoyle, Thunder Woman, you two are with me. We need to round these guys up. If you see anybody get so much as three blocks into the city, you either turn 'em back, or knock 'em out. And Donna?"

Delta-Ray Donna jerked her head towards the Flag. She was hoping that after weeks of boredom, she would finally be presented with a challenge. If he had told her to join Speedster-Man on crowd control, she would scream. If he had told her to join Emerald Man on collateral damage, she would scream. If he had told her to do anything other than fight, she would scream. But the Flag pointed a finger at one villain who was using some sort of gravity-based powers to his advantage.

" _Smash._ " Flag said at last.

Donna's grin grew as wide as it could possibly be. She locked her eyes onto Doctor Gravity, charged her enchanted axe with lightning, and lunged excitedly at her foe. She swung her axe and smacked it right into Doctor Gravity's face, creating a glass-shattering boom. Thunder Woman decided to go with her, so that she didn't _kill_ him.

Meanwhile, Marvelgirl and Speedster-Man were picking up civilians, and carrying them to the police. Dare stayed on the ground, directing them towards the police on foot. Just then, Ink, a villain that had most of his skin covered with tattoos popped up. Much to everyone's shock, he peeled off one of his tattoos, and it formed a giant mallet. Marvelgirl dive-bombed him, but he was too fast, and smacked her away with the mallet. Dare leapt to safety as he chucked a shuriken at his enemy. Ink threw his mallet straight at Dare, only for Speedster-Man to swoop in and catch it.

Ink peeled off another tattoo, forming a machine gun. As Marvelgirl flew in for another strike, Ink opened fire on her. Marvelgirl clenched her stomach from the pain, quickly deducing what it was. "Magic." she groaned. "I _really, really_ hate magic!" Ink smirked with confidence as he prepared to fire again.

"Hey, buddy, I think you _dropped_ this!" Ink heard a voice call out. He turned around just in time to see his own mallet smack him square in the chest. Speedster-Man and Marvelgirl high-fived each other as Ink absorbed the mallet back into his skin. He tried to get up, but Marvelgirl landeded in front of him and knocked him unconscious with her pinky-finger.

The rogue Soviet agent, Sapphire Woman, used her advanced weaponry to cut through one of the Wayne Enterprises buildings. This gave her a prime opportunity to escape, as Emerald Man and Firehawk forgot about her to catch the falling building. Tony created a giant car jack with his green energy, but it still wasn't enough.

"Aya, give me some options here!"

"I calculate a seventy-eight percent chance that the tower will fall, sir."

" _Not helping!_ "

Everyone in the building screamed in horror as they felt the building's support was about to give away. Suddenly, one employee calmed down as he saw a figure approaching at an incredible speed. Soon, others saw the figure as it got closer. The people felt hope rising inside of them as the Radonian hero finally came into view.

"Look! Up in the sky!"

"It's a rocket!"

"It's a missile!"

"No, it's _Hyperman!_ "

Hyperman quickly placed his hands on the side of the building, using his solar-charged muscles to help Emerald Man and Firehawk stop it from falling. Once the building was back in place, Emerald Man used his green energy to create three giant support beams. While his ally held it in place, Hyperman used his heat vision to weld the building's foundation back together. Firehawk then proceeded to direct everybody out.

Back on the ground, Mystery Master, Spinmaster, and Captain Projectile were rounded up and knocked down by the Flag. Gargoyle was currently locked in a battle against Golden Viper and the Bender, while simultaneously keeping Circuit Breaker at bay with his shuriken. The electric villain pulled the sharp weapon out of his leg, and went after the Flag, instead.

Circuit Breaker changed into his lightning form, and lunged at the Flag. But the speedster quickly drew his shield, and slammed it into his enemy so hard, he changed back into his human form.

"Flag fact: the vibranium in my shield does _not_ conduct electricity." Steve chuckled to himself. But before he could secure the electric villain, two purple arms wrapped around his neck. Searing pain shot into his body as Renegade tightened her grip around. The extra-dimensional energy that granted Flag his speed was able to keep her at bay, but he figured it wouldn't last long. But then, just as everything started to go dark, Renegade released him. The Flag's energy came back at lightning speed, giving him the chance to see Renegade, caked in frost and completely immobile.

"YOU GIVE MUTA-HUMANS A BAD NAME!" Flag turned around just in time to see who had saved him. Standing there was a young woman with white hair pulled into a bob. She noticed that Flag was looking at her, and decided to run away. Steve had so many questions, but given the current situation, it would have to wait.

Doctor Gravity crashed into the docks, battered and bruised. He struggled to his feet and focused all of his strength on the two women in front of him. "Impossible… _nothing's_ that powerful!" Diana and Donna fought against Doctor Gravity's powers with all their might, breaking the ground beneath them with every step. At last, Gravity's powers were drained, and the exhausted villain fell to his knees in surrender.

"Well, looks like you folks got it covered." Fury smiled as the agents gathered up the villains and prepared to take them back to the Raft. "Flag, can I please talk to you for a moment?"

Director Fury took the displaced soldier to the side as the other heroes worked with the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. "Listen, Captain, I've been thinking about what you said back at headquarters. I understand how you feel about the Cosmic Cube, I really do. After all, a _sample_ of that thing turned a crippled cop into a _nightmare_. But the thing is; I'm not sure the Cube _can_ be destroyed."

Before Flag could respond, Thunder Woman came over to speak with Fury.

"Director Fury, have you seen John? He didn't seem to come along with you."

"Major Foster? He took an airship and went out towards the Pacific. He said something about settling a score with one of your _family members_ or something."

Diana's eyes widened with horror. She prayed to the All-Father Odin that her mind had just jumped to conclusions, but this was not something to be taken lightly. She turned to her new allies and tried to speak calmly.

"Friends, I believe I know who is behind this sudden release of our enemies! My sister, Circi, goddess of evil, has come to Earth. She seeks that which the Director and her superiors seek. And if I am correct, my friend, John, is in mortal peril!"

* * *

 **Meanwhile, Off the Coast of Portugal**

John Foster saw an island in the distance as he pushed the airship's thrusters to the max. Just as he had hoped, Circi still had the same energy signature she always left behind on Earth. As he began his descent, he looked at a picture of him with his sister and father. Once he touched down, he strapped a pistol to his hip, stuck a knife in his boot, and grabbed the best machine gun he could find on the ship.

He stepped out onto the island, keeping his gun ready for whenever he'd need it. He managed to take four steps before something knocked into the air. As soon as everything stopped spinning, John locked onto his target and opened fire. Unfortunately, his machine gun ran out by the time his target was five feet away from him, and getting closer. He grabbed his hand gun, and continued to fire, but the bullets just bounced off the target as she kept coming.

Before John could reach the knife in his boot, Circi grabbed him by the scruff of his collar, and lifted him into the air with ease. "I never understood you mortals." Circi laughed. "If your silly projectiles don't work, how do you expect a simple _blade_ to fare better?"

Before he knew it, Circi had planted her heel on top of John's chest as she pinned him to the ground. The scepter in her hand was pointed straight at his head while her other hand reached for something behind her back. "By any chance… were you looking for _this?_ " Circi revealed the powerful Cosmic Cube to the mortal soldier, smiling wickedly as she glared at him. "It's _beautiful_ , isn't it? And once I present it to Lord Darkanos, Asgard _and_ Olympus will know my rage! But first… I believe you and I are due for a little… _heart_ to _heart_ …"

John Foster's father had taught him many valuable lessons when he was young. But at that moment, John thought that one of the most important lessons his father ever taught him was; if a person can make you feel uneasy just by smiling at you, odds are, that person is rotten to the core. _Oh, dad, if only you could be here, now._ John thought to himself. _You'd have no idea how right you were._

 **To Be Continued!**

* * *

 **Sorry if this chapter went by a little quick, but don't worry, the truly epic battle is coming up! Tune in next time to see the Justice Legion of Avengers take on Circi!**

 **Dorian Quartermane(Clay Quartermane/Dorian Chase)**

 **Malcolm Rumlow(Malcolm Thawne/Brock Rumlow)**

 **Doctor Gravity(Graviton/Doctor Polaris)**

 **Killer Thing(The Thing/Killer Croc)**

 **Radiation Man(Radioactive Man/ Major Force)**

 **Captain Projectile(Bullseye/Captain Boomerang)**

 **Golden Viper(Madam Viper/Golden Glider)**

 **The Spinmaster(Whirlwind/The Top)**

 **Baroness Vertigo(Vertigo/Count Vertigo)**

 **Mystery Master(Mysterio/Mirror Master)**

 **Circuit Breaker(Electro/Livewire)**

 **Sapphire Woman(Titanium Man/Star Sapphire)**

 **The Bender(Batroc/Ragdoll)**

 **Awesome Amazo(Awesome Android/Amazo)**

 **Arnim DeVoe(Arnim Zola/Clifford DeVoe)**

 **Ink(Tattoo/Tattoo Man)**

 **Flag facts = my version of Flash facts**


	13. A Day Unlike Any Other part 3

**Author's note: Okay, everybody, with all the craziness going on in the country right now, this needs to be said. Simon Hammer is** _ **not**_ **Donald Trump and Catlin Walters is** _ **not**_ **Hilary Clinton. Simon is just supposed to represent everything wrong with politics and Catlin is supposed to represent how much good we can do if we** _ **just stick together**_ **. I won't say I'm happy with the results of this year's election, but I will not let that ruin my spirit. Because in my heart, I believe in the good of all people. I want everyone to feel welcome when they read my story, but if you hate people with different skin color, or people who practice a different religion, or if you so much as act hateful to anyone who does not** _ **think, act, or look just like you**_ **, I cannot call you my friend. I'm sorry for the rant, here is the story. Please enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter VI: A Day Unlike Any Other! Part 3**

 **Somewhere on an Island in the Pacific Ocean**

As Circi kept the mortal under her boot, she admired the Cosmic Cube in her hand. She had seen wars between gods, the destruction of planets, and many secrets of the universe, but the Cube was something entirely different. The Cube radiated with a tantalizing blue energy that had the ability to manipulate reality, itself. Circi broke from her gaze when she heard a cough escape from the mortal's throat. She smirked with delight as she watched him suffer.

"You know, John Foster, before you came to Asgard, my sister and I we're inseparable. But when she wanted to leave, Lord Odin revealed that _she_ was the only being he would entrust with ruling Asgard. It was _then_ that I learned the truth about my past as a frost giant, left to _die_ because I was a _weak female_. My only crime was that I was _born_. If Hippolyta had not taken pity on me, Odin would have done the exact _same_. After Diana left, there was _no one_ to love me, and as time began to pass, she all but _forgot_ about her sister. Perhaps before I kill _you_ , I shall teach you what it feels like to lose a sister."

John's face turned white at the sound of the goddess' threat. A moment later, his eyebrows knitted together as he angrily snarled at her. "Leave… Stacy… _out of this!_ "

"Circi!" a voice called out. Circi straightened up, keeping a steady breath as she lifted her heel off of her captive. Hovering in the sky, preparing to land, was Thunder Woman. Circi cast a temporary spell of containment around Foster as she stepped closer to her adoptive sister. When Diana finally landed, she placed her hammer on the ground and walked towards her.

"Is that supposed to trick me?" Circi mocked. "Do you think that if you put down your precious hammer, that I will relax my defenses long enough for you to capture me?"

"Circi, please, I do not know who you are giving the Cosmic Cube to, but you are making a mistake."

" _Mistake?!_ " Circi spat furiously. " _You_ already made a mistake when you left me to be with these _pathetic mortals!_ " Diana stopped in her tracks, frightened by her sister's fury. "All I ever wanted was to be your _equal!_ But when you left, Odin could _never_ bare the idea of a _frost giant_ sitting on the throne! Now… it is my chance to destroy those who deceived me! When I present the Cosmic Cube to my _new_ lord and master, he will bring Ragnarok to both Asgard _and_ Jotunheim!"

"But what is to stop you from using the power, yourself, sister?" Diana asked. "You have the Cube in your hands, why don't you bring about Ragnarok yourself?"

Circi smirked. "Trying to _trick_ a _trickster_ , Diana? I may be a god, but not even _I_ am powerful enough to use it. But I _can_ use my own power to destroy this mortal, and then, I shall destroy _Midgard_ , all together."

"And how will you do that…" Diana crossed her arms as she smiled confidently. "When both _John_ and _the Cube_ are no longer in your possession?"

Circi quickly turned around, and much to her surprise, Foster was not there. Then, she looked back at her hand and saw that the Cube had vanished from her grasp. She desperately looked around to find either of the two, but there was no trace of them. "Where is it?! Where is the mortal" Circi sneered at her sister. "You are no master of magic, how could you have made them disappear?!"

Just as Circi had finished that sentence, a mortal wielding a shield appeared by Diana's side. "You _blinked_." He chuckled.

"Thank you, friend Allen." Diana patted the Flag on the shoulder, summoned Mjolnir back to her grip, and prepared for battle. Despite the fact that the Flag managed to get the Cube and the Major away from Circi, she still had the Scepter in her possession. That made her dangerous, and the Flag would need time to save up energy before he could move that fast again.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for help to arrive. The Justice Legion of Avengers surrounded Circi, bracing themselves for any attack she might attempt. "Be prepared, my friends!" Diana warned. "Even without the Cosmic Cube, my sister is practically a _god!_ "

"There's only _one_ God, ma'am…" Flag said respectively as he got into a defensive stance. "And I'm pretty sure He doesn't dress like _that_."

Circi slammed the Scepter on the ground, creating a seismic rupture that knocked everyone down. Hyperman was the first to recover, rushing over to Circi and trapping her in a tight bear hug. But Circi laughed and held her palm up to the alien's chest. Hyperman quickly released her, clenching his chest as it burned.

"Indeed, Radonians _are_ an Asgardian's physical match while under a yellow sun… yet my observations revealed a fatal difference; a _vulnerability to magic_." Circi blasted Hyperman with another hex bolt, burning off a piece of his costume. But before she could get any closer, Hyperman rose up into the air, his eyes glowing brightly.

"Here's _another_ difference…" Two beams of intense heat erupted from his eyes, causing Circi to stagger back out of pain. " _Heat vision!_ "

The Goddess of Evil snarled as she cast a shielding spell that deflected the alien's heat vision. Then, her body began to expand until she was fifty feet tall.

"Oh, you gotta be _shitting me!_ " Firehawk groaned before Circi kicked him into the ocean. Everyone began to attack all at once. The Flag tried to create a powerful whirlwind that he'd hoped would knock her down, but Circi simply scattered it with a swipe of her hand. Hyperman and Marvelgirl kept trying to use their heat blasts against her, but at her current size, Circi was unaffected. Gargoyle made sure that Dare didn't get hurt as the giant goddess stomped around the island, using his sonar-vision to anticipate her next move. Suddenly, Dare got an idea.

"Hey, Speedster-Man! Have you ever seen _Empire Strikes Back?!_ And that part on the ice planet, with the walking robots?!" Speedster-Man quickly picked up what Dare was getting at. Ducking behind a boulder, the Wall-Runner adjusted the grappling mechanisms on his wrists to the sharpened tips, and shot a cable into Circi's ankle.

Then, he ran around the giantess' legs, entangling them in the super-dense cable. Gargoyle and Dare then used their own bolas to assist the teenage hero. As the ties began to tighten around her legs, Circi's balance started to falter. Hyperman and Marvelgirl took advantage of that and swooped up to give her a double punch to the chin.

The ground shook violently when Circi crashed onto the ground. After she reverted back to her true size, the goddess quickly got to her feet. In her blind fury, she used the power of the Scepter to send ripples of energy at her foes. The Radonians and speedsters were brought down to their knees in pain, but Thunder Woman and the others were able to dodge the blasts.

Thunder Woman spun her hammer around in her wrist before tossing it directly at her sister. The power of the Uru in her hammer counteracted the contained magic of the Scepter, creating a magical backlash that sent a painful surge of energy through Circi's body. That gave the Justice Legion a chance to hit her with everything they had.

The Radonian cousins used their heat blasts, while Thunder Woman and Delta-Ray Donna attacked with the lightning of their weapons. Circi's legs buckled, and she fell to her knees. The next attack came from the Armored Avengers as they blasted the enemy with a combination of repulser blasts and concentrated radiation beams. Circi's hands grasped the ground as she tried to resist the intense power. At last, the speedsters and the Dynamic Duo finished the attack with a combination of C-4 and directed Speed-Force lightning.

A bright flash of light surrounded the entire island. When the dust cleared, Circi was barely able to stand. "You know…" she began, wearily. "With the benefit of hindsight I-" Circi was interrupted by Firehawk, who blasted her with another radiation beam.

"NO! WE'RE DONE! I HAVE PUT UP WITH A LOT THESE PAST FEW WEEKS, I AM _NOT_ GOING TO PUT UP WITH AN ALL-POWERFUL BIKINI BABE WSHO REFUSES TO STAY DOWN!" The radioactive teen breathed intensely as his rant ended. The other teens slowly backed away from him while the adults went to contain Circi.

When S.H.I.E.L.D. arrived, Thunder Woman had her sister wrapped up in her magic lasso. "Well done, Avengers." Director Fury complimented. "Now, is there any way this bitch can be held at the Raft?"

"I'm afraid not, Director Fury." Thunder Woman stepped forward. "But there is a way to deal with her. As well as solve the problem of the Cosmic Cube."

* * *

 **S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters**

Director Fury stood before the gathered members of the United Nations. In all the years of her service, Amanda still could not stand the idea of speaking to all of the self-righteous politicians in the world.

"The mission was a success." She began. "The JLA stopped the breakout at the Raft, located the Cosmic Cube, and prevented it from falling into the hands of the enemy."

"And what happened to the Cosmic Cube?" the ambassador of France asked.

"The Cosmic Cube is where it belongs; _out of our reach_."

"That's not your call to make!" the U.K.'s Prime Minister exclaimed.

"And I _didn't_ make that call…" Amanda said, smugly. "I just didn't _argue_ with the kick-ass Amazon who _did_."

"And what about the terrorist, Circi?" Israel's ambassador asked. "She has yet to face punishment for her crimes and there is still a significant amount of criminals who _did_ manage to escape from the Raft."

"Oh, don't worry. Based on what I saw in Thunder Woman's eyes, I'm _certain_ that Circi will _definitely_ get what's coming to her. As for the criminals, after the performance the JLA showed in California, I doubt any of those criminals will be very eager to come out of the shadows any time soon."

"Is that what this mission was all about?" the U.S. President asked. "Sending a message?"

"A _promise_ , Mr. President. No matter what threatens this world, if those individuals can't bring _justice_ to it, you can be damn sure they'll _avenge_ it."

The meeting ended quickly, leaving the Director very pleased with herself. She walked down the halls of the headquarters, proudly saluting her agents until she got to the infirmary. There was Diana Blake sitting next to the injured Major Foster.

"How are you healing?" Diana asked sweetly.

"Eh, I've been banged up worse." John nearly smiled. "You know, Angel, the Director gave me a couple of weeks off to recuperate. I was thinking of taking Stacy and her grandson to Seattle. There's plenty of room if you wanna tag along…"

"Steve…" Diana sighed as she brushed her hand through his hair. "I am _incredibly_ grateful for everything you've done to help me over the years. But we're too _different_ in more ways than either of us care to admit. I'm sorry… but we _can't_ … I-I can't deal with the fact that you'll grow old while I won't… I… I just…" Tears started to run down her face.

"Hey, Angel, it's _okay_." Steve brushed her face with his thumb. "It hurts me, too… but, I love you enough to respect your decision. I knew that our _relationship_ wouldn't last when you broke it off in '92, but the one thing I _do_ want to last is our _friendship_. So, what do you say? Friends?"

Diana smiled and shook his hand. "Friends."

* * *

 _And so there came a day unlike any other. When Earth's greatest heroes found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, they became the Justice Legion of Avengers. To fight foes that no single hero could withstand. The Flag, a true American soldier, lost in time. Hyperman, an alien protector of truth, justice, and the American way. Thunder Woman, a goddess whose heart belonged to Earth. Emerald Man, genius, billionaire, playboy, industrialist, philanthropist. And Gargoyle, living proof that justice is blind. Together, they've sworn to protect the Earth from all threats, as well as ensure a future generation of heroes will be there to take their place one day. Under their watchful eye, the world is safe._

* * *

 **Epilogue: Part I**

 **The Forbidden Realm**

"The Greek-Asgardian has _failed_ , my lord…" the shriveled alien trembled before his master. "The Cosmic Cube is now in Asgard's vaults. The Scepter is on Earth, guarded by a group of beings with incredible powers. To challenge them… is to _court death_."

Darkanos grinned sinisterly at his minion's comment.

* * *

 **Epilogue: Part II**

 **Hammer Industries, Southern California**

"What do you _mean_ you won't accept my job offer, Wilson?" Simon Hammer was talking to Floyd Wilson about assassinating Catlin Walters. "I-I told you, it's not my fault that last payment didn't come in! I'll pay you _double_ … _fine!_ That bitch'll never beat me anyway!" After Hammer angrily hung up the phone as he started looking for another hired gun.

"Knock, knock…" a voice came from the doorway. It was Dr. Harrison Richards. "I'm so _sorry_ to hear that you've fallen behind in the polls. I calculate Catlin Walters now has an _eighty-five_ percent chance of winning the election."

Simon used his computer to turn off the security cameras in his office. Then, he reached under his desk to find his gun. He pointed the weapon at the scientist and began to threaten him. "I just want you to know, after I kill you, I'll find someone to kill Walters, and then, I'll find a way to kill that _bastard_ , the Flag."

"You threaten a crippled man, plot to kill political rivals, _and_ openly insult a soldier? You would have made an excellent Nazi."

"Yeah, yeah, I get that _a lot_." Simon cocked the pistol.

"Well, I'm sure you _have_. But, coming from _me…_ " Harrison stood up from his wheelchair and knocked the gun away from the elderly man's hand. "That's a _compliment_."

"What the hell?!" Simon was confused and frightened as Richards pressed against his back.

"That thing is _terribly_ uncomfortable." Harrison groaned before he backed Simon up against his desk. "But it has given me the desired results. It's helped me fool those idiots at S.H.I.E.L.D. It's even let me get close enough to you… so that I can _kill_ you."

Simon pressed a button under his desk, alerting his security guards to come to him. Harrison carried on. "Now, Simon, before I begin, you probably think that this is _personal_ , but I assure you it _isn't_. But I have not been waiting over _seventy years_ to have my revenge against the Flag, only for some _feeble old man_ to think he can beat me to it."

Suddenly, the sounds of footsteps came from outside the door. Simon sighed in relief, knowing that his guards would quickly put an end to this lunatic. But just as the six guards arrived, everything slowed down around Dr. Richards. Red lightning cackled from his eyes as his wicked smile grew wider. In a blur of motion, Richards slipped on two metallic gauntlets and went to work. He slashed his claws through the stomachs of the first two guards, splattering their blood onto the walls. Then, at an incredible speed, he delivered an upper-cut to two other guards, knocking their heads clean off. Finally, he grabbed the last two guards by the head, one-by-one, and snapped their necks.

Time returned to normal for Richards, but his body continued to vibrate as his eyes glowed a dark red. Simon Hammer was shaking in fear as Harrison slowly crept towards him. "H-how did you do that?! The only person who could move that fast is the _Flag!_ "

" **Oh, I'm not the Flag**..." Richards' voice was dark and menacing as his vocal chords vibrated. " **Some would say I am the** _ **reverse**_..." Richards grabbed Hammer by the neck and vibrated his other arm into his chest. " **Time to** _ **die**_ **, Herr Hammer** …" Richards stopped vibrating his arm, and Simon Hammer choked to death. Richards ripped his arm from Hammer's chest cavity and wiped the blood from his gloves.

"Alright then…" the scientist sighed as he kicked his wheelchair over. "Let's make this _convincing_." He slashed his own chest twice, tapped the palms of his gloves to make them retract, and lay down on the ground. "Help! Oh, Gott, someone please help!" It didn't take long for two more guards to arrive.

"Dr. Richards? Oh, God, Mr. Hammer!" the guards gagged as they saw the bloodshed. One of them kneeled down to help the injured scientist. "Dr. Richards, are you alright? What happened? Who did this?"

"R-Red… Zoom…" was all he could say before passing out.

 **To Be Continued!**

* * *

 **Harrison Richards aka Eobard Shcmidt aka the Red Zoom(Red Skull/Reverse-Flash)**


	14. The Flag Reborn part 1

**Chapter VII: The Flag Reborn Part 1**

 **S.H.I.E.L.D. Infirmary**

("I-it was horrible! He cut through those men as if they were _paper!_ A-and he almost did the same to _me!_ ") Dr. Richards was in a state of complete shock as he tried to explain what had happened.

"Dr. Richards, _please!_ Calm down, you're _safe_ here." Speedster-Man tried to comfort the traumatized scientist. "Just _breath_ , and tell us what happened…"

Director Fury, the Flag, and Agent West stood outside the infirmary as Bart tried to get information. The young speedster had originally been the scientist's apprentice before the Flag had come back from the dead, forming a near father-son relationship between the two. At last, Richards calmed down long enough to explain.

"I went to Herr Hammer's office to try and persuade him into taking action against climate change. But he just scoffed and threatened me with a gun. And then, out of nowhere, _he_ appeared. He killed six guards before he finally killed Hammer. And then he grabbed _me_. He lifted me out of my chair as if I weighed _nothing_. H-he said that he left me alive for _one reason_ : so that I could tell the Flag that he was not yet _done_ tormenting him. _Mien Gott_ … those eyes. Those _horrible_ eyes looked right _at_ me… Right _through_ me! As if _I_ were… _next_ …" Harrison buried his face into his hands as he sobbed.

"It'll be _okay_ , Dr. Richards!" Bart tried to calm him down. "We'll _find_ the Red Zoom and make sure he never hurts anyone _ever again!_ I promise."

"Oh, I hope you're _right_ , Bartholomew… for the sake of us _all_ I hope you're _right_. But be _careful_ , the Red Zoom has done _many_ crimes that are far _worse_ than what he did last night…"

"Hey, relax, Doc! There ain't nuthin' I'm afraid of."

" _Ain't nothing?_ Watch those _double-negatives_ , Bartholomew. _Grammar, grammar, grammar!_ " Harrison scolded.

"I see your _inner-teacher_ survived the attack." Bart joked, enticing a chuckle from Dr. Richards. "Now, just get some _rest_ , please." Bart left the room and reported to his superiors. Once the four of them had left, Harrison checked to see that he was completely alone.

"Fools…" He smiled to himself.

* * *

Director Fury had ordered the surveillance team to pool all of their resources into locating the few super-criminals who had escaped the Raft. Hyperman and Thunder Woman were on patrol to try and find the criminals themselves. Emerald Man was busy tending to Pepper, while Gargoyle had volunteered to train the younger heroes. But the Flag had something on his mind. He searched for Agent West, hoping she could help him. Much to his luck, he found her in the mess hall, finishing her lunch.

"Sharon, I need to talk to you." He sat down next to her and removed his mask. "Can you explain to me what a _muta-human_ is?"

"They're human beings who are born with special abilities." Sharon explained the best she could. "A lot of them have been seen as a threat to the world. Why?"

"Because I think one may have saved my life back in California."

"What? How?"

The Flag explained what had happened between him and Renegade. He told her how he was on the verge of death before the woman stepped in. He told her how she sounded disappointed in Renegade for trying to kill him. And he told her that he wanted to meet her so that he could properly thank her.

"I think I know someone who could help." Sharon led Steve down towards the science wing of the facility. Unbeknownst to them, Karen, Donna, and Bart had spotted them and followed closely behind.

When they arrived, Sharon introduced Steve to an elderly man in a lab coat. "Captain Allen, this is Prof. Martin Selvig." The Professor was working on some kind of diamond-shaped machine when he heard the woman's voice. He hid the machine away and turned to face the two soldiers.

"Captain Allen! It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Prof. Selvig eagerly shook Steve's hand. "So, to what do I owe this visit?"

"Sharon tells me that you're S.H.I.E.L.D.'s leading expert on muta-humans."

Selvig's eyes lit up in excitement. He rushed around the room, gathering up books and papers that were scattered across the lab. He brought his guests over to another table and pointed to different pictures as he explained. "The _popular_ theory is that muta-humans evolved in the late-twentieth century. These beings gain their unique abilities from a special genetic impurity. Now, sometimes this gene is activated when their _born_ , sometimes it activates during _puberty_ , most of the time it either requires extreme _stress_ to activate, or it may not activate _at all_. But when the gene _does_ activate, it happens in a _spectacular_ fashion. Some abilities may be very easy to identify, others may go _unrecognized_."

"Y'know, it's things like this that make me really miss the days when the weirdest thing science ever created was _me_." Flag quipped before continuing. "Is there any way we can _find_ them?"

"Well, _no_ , unfortunately. Although, that's probably for the _best_. Muta-humans haven't had the best relationship with humans so far. The last thing this world needs is a crazed _witch hunt_. Why?"

"Because a muta-human saved my life in California. If I could meet with her, I might be able to _improve_ that relationship."

"Did you get a good look at them?" Selvig's eyes showed excitement again.

"Yes, what does _that_ have to do with anything?"

"We can't track muta-humans, _specifically_ , but if you could describe this muta-human the best you can-!"

"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s data base could run it through the profiles of everyone in this country until it finds a match!" Sharon quickly caught on. The elderly scientist led the two over to another desk with a large computer. Prof. Selvig asked for as many details as Steve could describe.

"She was _white_. Her hair was _blond_ but _silver_ at the bangs. I'd say she was probably in her late twenties or early thirties. And she had an _accent_. _Norwegian_ I think…" Steve rubbed his chin as he tried his best to remember. The computer made an upbeat noise as it revealed several women who had fit his description. Selvig scooted his chair out of the way so the Flag could use his super-speed to check all of the pictures. "That's _her!_ " He said at last.

"Who is she?" Sharon asked as Selvig read through her profile.

"Her name is Barbara Olafsdotter. Her parents immigrated to America in 1989, and gave birth to her in 1991… and she is a graduate and current _teacher_ at Niles Xavier's School for the Gifted. A prestigious facility that teaches from Kindergarten all the way through _college_. Located in Westchester, New York. I hope that helps?"

"Oh, it does, Prof. Selvig. Thank you very much." Steve shook Martin's hand and led Sharon out of the lab. Once they were gone, Selvig went back to his desk to continue working on the strange device.

"Okay, Martin, focus…" He said to himself. "Ronald is _counting_ on you. Whether he _knows_ it or _not_."

As they walked down the hall, Steve wrapped his arm around Sharon's waist as he spoke. "So, Miss West, do feel like taking a road trip this afternoon?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Captain, I'm all _booked up_ this week. But I think if we ask _nicely_ Director Fury would let us go this _Friday_."

"I look forward to it, sugar." Steve and Sharon stopped in the hall, holding each other's hands lovingly. "I'll see you back at the apartments later tonight?"

"Of course, see ya, baby." Sharon pushed herself onto her toes to give Steve a quick kiss. "I'll _miss_ you."

"I'll miss you _more_." Steve chuckled as his girlfriend walked away, swinging her hips in a way that drove him crazy. Just as he turned around to check with Director Fury, he came face-to-face with three young heroes, all with their mouths agape. "Were you three _spying_ on us?"

"When did this _start?!_ " Bart pulled his mask down. "You've been _holding out_ on me! You _sly dog!_ "

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my _God!_ " Marvelgirl became a bubbly mess. "How did this happen?! When will you get married?! Can I be a bridesmaid?! How many babies are you having?!"

"Congratulation, friend Allen!" Donna was just as excited as her friends. "You are a man of great _honor_ and _nobility!_ Agent West has chosen a _perfect consort!_ "

"Enough!" Steve snapped his fingers at a frequency that made it much louder. The students stopped talking to cover their ears as Flag interrupted them. "My social life is _none of your business!_ Get back to the gym!" While the teenagers were still cleaning out their earlobes, Flag marched to the command center.

"He's right." Donna said. "It is not our place to intervene with the personal affairs of our teachers. We cornered him like wild iguanites."

"Like _what?_ " Bart asked, bemused.

"Iguanites… you know; _big, scaly, ferocious_ _beasts_. Long antlers, serrated teeth, razor-tipped tails. You don't have those on this planet?"

"None that _I'm_ aware of…"

"Oh… well, they are _terrible_. And they trample anything in their paths."

As the young Avengers made their way back to the gym, Marvelgirl was still questioning the newly discovered relationship. "Well, I still wanna know how this _happened_."

* * *

 **One Week Ago. How It Started…**

Sharon simply adored Steve Allen. After he had moved in next door to her, she had made it her personal mission to know the man behind the legend. And she had to admit, the man was almost better than the legend. He had proven himself to be a polite, caring, and open-minded gentleman. He listened to her when she spoke, complimented her on her achievements, and laughed at all her jokes. Today, she decided to treat him to breakfast at a special diner owned and managed by one of her oldest friends

"So, what do you think?" Sharon asked as Steve munched on a stack of pancakes.

"Well, you sure weren't pullin' my leg, Sharon." Steve smiled. "These flap-jacks are _killer diller!_ "

" _Steve_ …" Sharon placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're trying to convince the world that you're _twenty-five_. It would help if you didn't speak as if it were _1944_."

"Fair point…" Steve agreed before tugging on the waiter's sleeve. "Excuse me, sir? Could I please get some more coffee?"

"Coming right up, my man." The waiter said enthusiastically before he spotted the woman next to him. "Well, I'll be _damned!_ Sharon 'Wild' West! It's about _time_ you showed your pretty face back here!"

"Hello, Sam!" Sharon decided an introduction was in order. "Steve, this is my childhood friend, and fellow soldier, Sam Irons."

"Nice to meet you…" Sam extended his hand towards Steve before a perplexed look appeared on his face. "Say, have I seen you before?"

"I… I don't think so." Steve said nervously.

"No, no, I'm certain I've seen your face _somewhere_ before… I know!" he reached under the counter and revealed a picture of ten U.S. soldiers from 1942. "You look just like Captain Steve Allen!"

Steve and Sharon sighed in relief. "Well, I'd _hope_ so, he's my… my _grandfather_."

"You kiddin'? That practically makes us _family_. See that man he's kneelin' down next to?" Sam pointed to the only black man in the entire picture. "That's Jeremiah Irons, _my_ grandfather. He always used to tell me; the army treated him like a _negro_ , but Captain Allen treated him like a _soldier_. He idolized him… and so do _I_. They both inspired me to join the Air Force, y'know?"

"Uh, yeah… me too." As Steve looked at the picture, his mind went back to his time during the war. He had seen almost every man in that photo die right in front of him. He could still here their screams whenever he closed his eyes, knowing that they had died while he was given a lucky break.

"Uh, Steve? You okay?" Sharon shook Steve out of his daze.

"Uh, I think so, I just… I – uh – I'm really _not sure_."

"It's the PTSD, isn't it?" Sam was concerned, too. He took out a pen and scribbled on a napkin. "Here, I work part-time at the VA's office. We're open Monday through Thursday if you ever wanna talk about it. Helps ease the pain."

"Th-thanks…" Steve took the napkin and got up from his seat. He took out his wallet and placed a twenty dollar bill on the counter. "Keep the change…" He walked out of the diner, with Sharon right behind him.

"Steve, are you okay?" she asked. Steve stood right in the middle of the sidewalk, watching everyone passing him as they stared at their cell-phones. Behind him, he saw multiple television screens displaying news broadcasts of various acts of violence. The streets were flooded with immobile cars blasting their horns at each other. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the noise, as he clasped his hands over his ears.

"It's too much…" He whispered to himself. "Too much… _too much!_ "

"Steve!" Sharon reached out, but before she could touch him, he had disappeared. The only evidence that remained was a gust of wind and a few sparks of electricity. Sharon couldn't blame him, how was a man supposed to react to a world seventy years ahead of his time? But that didn't mean that she couldn't help him.

Meanwhile, Steve was blindly running at just under mach 1. As he rushed through the countryside, his painful memories rushed through his mind. He saw his mother being murdered right in front of him by a blur of red lightning. Then he saw his father being sent away to prison for the crime. By the time he got to 1944, he saw himself as the Flag and Wally chasing down that same red blur.

 _Red Zoom launched a rocket at the United States simply to give himself a chance to escape. Flag jumped onto the rocket to try and destroy it halfway through its course. Wally jumped after him without hesitation. Flag managed to destroy the guidance compass of the rocket, forcing it upward until the high altitudes destroyed it. But Wally's left leg had gotten caught, leaving Flag to try and free him. Realizing that the bomb would kill them both, Wally looked at his mentor._

 _"I'm sorry, Steve!"_

 _"Don't talk like that, Wally! I'm not giving up!"_

 _"No! I meant I'm sorry, but the world needs_ the _Flag, more than it needs_ Kid-Flag! _"_

 _With that, Wally kicked Steve off of the rocket, leaving the speeding soldier to fall through the air. Kicking his legs as he reached out to his friend and yelled out for him._

 _"NO! NO! NO! WALLY!" the last thing the Flag saw before he fell into Hyperman's arms was his best friend saluting him._

The explosion finally brought him out of it, and the Flag stopped running and dropped to his knees. He sobbed for what felt like hours before he looked up to see he was surrounded by dried earth. Judging by the visible landscape, he deduced that he had ran all the way into Arizona. He slowly got to his feet, readying himself for the trip home, when an image of Wally flashing through his head brought him down to his knees again.

"I don't belong here…" he whimpered. "I don't belong _anywhere_ …"

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Martin Selvig(Erik Selvig/Martin Stein)**

 **Barbara Olafsdotter(Ice Man/Ice)**

 **Sam Irons(Sam Wilson/John Henry Irons)**

 **I know! I know! How is a brief episode of PTSD supposed to lead to the Steve/Sharon fluff you just witnessed earlier? I'm sorry to say you'll have to wait until next chapter! What does the Red Zoom have planned? Who is Barbara Olafsdotter? What will Steve do when he meets the muta-humans? What is that strange machine Prof. Selvig is working on? And what does it have to do with Firehawk? Only a few of these questions will be answered in the next exciting chapter of THE JUSTICE LEGION OF AVENGERS!**


	15. The Flag Reborn part 2

**Author's note: I, FLASHFAN123, shall now be making special guest appearances in certain chapters of my story! Just like Stan Lee! The appearances will be subtle, but to give you a hint as to which ones I'm in, the chapter will have this after each title: "*"**

* * *

 **Chapter VII: The Flag Rebirth Part 2**

 **One Week before the Breakout at the Raft**

Captain Steve Allen kept a straight face as he made his way into the mess hall. But inside, he was deeply traumatized. He was stranded in a time that was unfamiliar to him, without any way to return to his own. Everything had changed, mostly for the worst. It seemed that the America Steve had fought for was long gone. And the world didn't need or want him anymore. But what hurt the most was that everywhere he went, he saw Wally. As if he was being haunted by his ghost.

"Is this seat taken?" Steve snapped out of his depressive thoughts by another man's voice. He looked up to see a young Latino man dressed in a traditional S.H.I.E.L.D. agent uniform standing on the other side of the table.

"Uh, _no_ , go ahead, son."

" _Son?_ Man, you _are_ old." The agent chuckled. "My name's Rick Hill, Captain."

"Oh, of course. Speedster-Man told me about you. He said you're Director Fury's… what was it? _Go-to-guy?_ "

"Go-to-guy, second-in-command, vice-director… whatever you wanna call it." He said bluntly as he drank coffee. "And I know _you_ , too. You're Captain Steve Allen, the _Flag_. I've also noticed that you've spent plenty of time around Agent West. Mind explaining that?"

"What's there to explain?" Steve questioned. "She's a respected colleague."

"Uh- _huh_ …" Rick smiled. "So is _Hyperman_ , but then again, he ain't as _pretty_ as Sharon, is he?"

"What? No, no, no… you've got it all wrong." Steve blushed. "My life is too complicated to try and form a relationship."

" _Right…_ " Rick kept going. "But you can't deny that she's _desirable_."

"Well, _of course_ , she's _desirable_." Steve responded without hesitation. "What's not to like about her? She's a _remarkable woman_ , she's a _kindred spirit_ , she's a _valued friend_ , she's…" Steve stopped talking when he noticed Rick was starting to laugh. His face went red as he let out a long sigh. "She's… standing right behind me, isn't she?"

"Don't let _that_ stop you…" Sharon set her tray on the table and sat right next to Steve. "Keep _digging_."

But before Steve could respond, the intercom called for the three agents to come to the command center, immediately. Once they arrived, they were greeted by the Director, Agent Quartermane, Agent Rumlow, and Agent Henshaw. The Director pointed to a large screen and gave the assembled team their orders.

"The target's name is Georges Merkle, aka the Bender. French contortionist-turned-terrorist. He's spent the last ten years leading his own militant group, which we have reason to believe is under the command of H.I.D.R.A. Our sources say they're trying to smuggle a dirty bomb into Paris. We need you to intercept the convoy, deactivate the bomb, and bring those bastards in. Transport leaves in exactly thirty minutes, dismissed."

The agents saluted the Director and rushed towards the transport ship. Thaddeus took the controls, waited for everyone to take their seats, and they set off for France. The airship moved at an uncanny speed that made most of the agents cringe, but the Flag took no notice. But his tolerance was not out of experience, instead, his mind had gone back to how completely overwhelming this current time was to him. He wondered if that was how Kent felt when he first came to Earth.

At last, they reached the drop-off point. Agent Henshaw activated the ship's cloaking device, and agreed to stay behind in case of an emergency evacuation. The agents and the Flag headed towards the city and waited for the militia's truck. Sharon and Dorian donned their disguises and went into town. Rumlow assembled his sniper rifle and took position on top of a hill. Meanwhile, Rick asked for the Flag to rush the two of them over to the Eifel Tower.

A few moments later, Rick was clenching his stomach as he threw up on the streets.

"Sorry, you'll get used to it…" Steve apologized as he changed into his own disguise at super-speed.

"Okay…" Rick steadied himself. "According to our sources… the truck is meant to blow up the Tower as a political statement. No matter what happens, we _cannot_ let the Bender get to this Tower."

" _The Bender_ …" Steve muttered. "The villains of this generation seem to come up with the most _ridiculous_ code-names."

"Oh, _yeah_ …" Rick rolled his eyes. "Because _Baron Zero_ is such an _awesome_ name. And by the way, who's the creative genius who came up with the name _Red Zoom?_ "

"… well, I'll _tell you_ …" Steve frowned. "Back in 1942, the Allied Forces received word that a secret Nazi squadron was hiding out in Russia. Twenty Allied soldiers were sent to intercept them before they could do any damage. But when they got there… there were no Nazi soldiers. There was just one man. It was a _trap_. Red Zoom set a trap, and those men fell right into it. Zoom killed all but _one_ of those soldiers. He told him to tell his superiors that without _me_ , the _Flag_ , the Allies would _never_ be able to stop him. That soldier described the event as… red lightning, _zooming_ around his fellow soldiers. He was sent back to the states later that day. Everyone _else_ considered him to be the lucky one… until Zoom tracked him down _later_ _that week_ , and killed him, too. Anyway, _that's_ how he got the nickname Red Zoom."

"I'm sorry…" Rick stuttered. Just then, Rumlow called everyone on the comm-link.

"Rumlow to all agents, the truck has entered the city. It's heading towards the Tower, _fast!_ "

Sure enough, Sharon and Dorian spotted the militia's truck. The Bender was in full costume as his men drove the truck down the streets. He slinked his body out of the passenger-side window, and leapt onto the roof of the truck. The Flag tapped the star on his shield to don his costume, and sprang into action. Moving quickly, he removed the men from inside the car, and then brought the truck to a halt.

"The truck has stopped!" He spoke into the comm. "Agent West, Agent Quartermane, you're up."

As Sharon and Dorian hurried over to the truck with their cutting tools, the Bender snuck up behind Flag and kicked him to the pavement. Flag recovered quickly enough, and tossed his shield at his attacker. But the Bender's joints twisted in an inhuman way, easily dodging each time the Flag threw his shield.

("And here I thought the Flag was _more_ than just a shield") The French terrorist sneered.

Flag strapped his shield onto his back and cracked his knuckles. ("Let's find out.")

Bender made the first move, leaping and kicking at the Flag as fast as he could. But Flag was much faster, and easily blocked each blow. Bender was getting winded with each strike he made, until he was finally out of breath. Now, it was Flag's turn. He delivered two uppercuts, one hundred super-fast jabs, and a roundhouse-kick that sent his foe flying into the side of the truck. The other terrorists drew their weapons and prepare to open fire. But one-by-one, they fell to the ground with bullet holes in their heads.

"You're _welcome_." Rumlow said to no one in particular into the comm.

Meanwhile, Sharon and Dorian were almost completely finished with cutting through the truck's door. But when the door finally opened, there was a surprise waiting for them; the bomb wasn't there. Both agents were bemused and shocked at this strange turn of events.

"It isn't here…" Dorian said to the other agents. "The bomb's _not_ here!"

"Then _where_ is it?" Flag asked.

" _ **Right here…**_ " an ominous voice spoke out. Everyone turned around to see the bomb, completely disarmed, under the heel of a strange man. The man wore a black trench coat over a black, full-body suit. He wore metal gauntlets over his hands, and leather boots that reached halfway up his shins. His left bicep had a red, lightning-shaped band with a swastika around it. Another swastika was brandished on his chest with a red lightning bolt over it, similar to the Flag's. But his most distinguishing feature, was the red, skull-shaped helmet that covered his head.

" _Zoom_ …" Flag gasped.

" **Are you content to fighting these pathetic excuses for terrorists, Flag?** " The Red Zoom goaded. " **Or would you like to pick on someone your** _ **own**_ **speed?** "

The Flag clenched his teeth and chased after his arch-nemesis. Both speedsters raced around the entire continent of Europe, with their speed increasing at fantastic rates. When they managed to get side-by-side, they threw hundreds of punches at each other. But neither of them managed to land any of their punches. Until, at last, they rounded back to Paris, where Red Zoom managed to trip the Flag, causing him to crater out the ground as he stumbled. Then, Zoom grabbed the battered hero by the neck, and lifted him into the air.

"H-how… are you… still… _alive_ …?" Flag gagged.

" **It is my** _ **destiny**_ **to torment you, Flag. Just as it was** _ **your mother's**_ **destiny to die that night. And just as it was _Kid-Flag's_ destiny to be murdered by that bomb...** " Red Zoom cackled as he began to vibrate his arm. " **Although it would be** _ **easiest**_ **for me to kill you** _ **right now**_ **… I** _ **won't**_ **… When I** _ **do**_ **kill you, I want you to be at the** _ **top**_ **of your game. I want you to be at full strength when you die by my hands… But that will never happen until you stop** _ **pitying**_ **yourself…** " Red Zoom vibrated his hand through the Flag's chest, dropped him, and ran away. Sharon was the first to reach him.

"Steve?! Steve, are you _alright?!_ " As she pulled his mask off, Steve shook violently as he lay, dying on the cold ground. "Thad! We need _immediate_ evac! Get us back to S.H.I.E.L.D.!"

* * *

When Steve woke up, he didn't know where he was. He found himself floating through a strange void. He tried to speak, but his voice didn't work. He tried to move, but his limbs wouldn't respond. For a brief moment, he considered if this was the afterlife.

" _You are here for a reason, Steve Allen…"_

Steve shuddered as a voice came out of nowhere. Perhaps this _was_ the afterlife.

" _You have been allowing yourself to fall into a deep depression. You feel as if you do not belong here… You blame yourself for surviving the war… for coming back to life. You must realize that you are here for a_ reason _. We are the ones who saved you… because you_ can _help this world… and to prove it… we shall show you_ exactly _what you have missed…"_

Suddenly, Steve found himself rushing through the void. Stopping abruptly, he found himself able to move again. Looking around, it seemed he was in a Japanese city. Then, he heard a noise coming from the sky. He saw that a plane flew overhead and dropped some kind of bomb. The bomb impacted, creating a bright light that swept away everyone around Steve. When he opened his eyes again, Steve was horrified to see the devastation.

He was pulled by the strange force again, leading him to a group of American soldiers trudging through a jungle. The group was taken by surprise when a group of Vietnamese men dropped down from the trees, and slaughtered the men. Steve's mouth hung open as he could only watch the bloodshed.

Again, the ominous force pulled him through time. This time, he was back in New York City. He looked around and saw two towers with the flag's of multiple nations in front of him. And then, Steve heard another sound, overhead. A plane crashed into one of the towers, enticing the crowds below to scream in terror as another plane crashed into the other one. Both buildings collapsed, and Steve was petrified where he stood.

The force continued to show Steve multiple disasters that had happened throughout the years he'd missed. He saw innocent Iraqis being killed by the government he had sworn an oath to. He saw Russia's leader trying to take over other countries. He saw the citizens of his own country being killed for their race, religion, or sexuality. He couldn't take it anymore.

"Stop!" He finally cried out. "Please, make it stop! I want to go back! I _need_ to go back! I need to help! I… I need to do _something!_ I can't ignore my responsibility! Do you hear me?! Answer me, damn it! Red Zoom is still out there! I need to stop him! I WANT MY SECOND CHANCE!"

" _Then stop complaining about when it takes place, Steve Allen… and_ take it _..."_

Steve was surrounded by red, white and blue lightning as the strange force pulled at him one final time.

* * *

Sharon was startled when Steve woke up with a desperate gasp. All the other agents jumped back, but Sharon wrapped her arms around her friend.

"Oh, Steve! Thank _God!_ We thought we'd lost you!" Sharon sobbed.

"You gave us quite a _scare_ , Captain…" Henshaw sighed, relieved.

"Seriously, man, don't ever do that to us again." Dorian put in.

When Steve's breathing finally calmed down, the agents decided it was best to let him recover. But Steve grabbed Sharon's wrist before she could leave, asking her to sit down and stay with him for a while. Once everyone else was gone, he told Sharon about what had happened to him.

"It was cold… and lonely…" he began. "And then, a voice showed me everything I missed. Everything that I might have been able to prevent. Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Vietnam. 9/11 and bombing Iraq… I saw _all_ of it…"

"None of that was _your fault_ , Steve." Sharon was still crying silently.

"But there's still so much that I can do for this world… I can _still_ make a difference…"

"But you can't be the Flag _all the time_ …" Sharon held his hand tightly. "You need to create a life of your own."

"Oh, I know, Sharon. I just…" Steve hesitated. "I hope there's more to enjoy in this time besides a _good breakfast_."

Sharon cupped Steve's face as she looked into his soulful, blue eyes. The eyes of a man who had seen so much darkness, but never let it ruin him. The eyes of a gentle man who deserved to be happy. A man she had come to develop a connection with.

"There's _plenty_ more…" She whispered. And then, Sharon's lips met Steve's and they gave themselves into a passionate kiss.

* * *

 **Present Day**

Harrison Richards had fully recovered and went home. Once he arrived at his house on the outskirts of New York, he locked all of his doors and closed every curtain. He stepped out of his wheelchair and took out two strange devices. The first device was set down on the floor, and began to flash a bright, yellow light. As he stepped back, Harrison placed the second device over his chest and tapped the center. His costume began to spread over his body, and he knelt down as the other device displayed a holographic image of his master.

" **Lord Darkanos…** " He began. " **I am honored by your presence…** "

"Spare me your formalities, Eobard Shcmidt." The fallen god bellowed. "Have you located the Soul Ring yet?"

" **Be patient, my liege… my plan is proceeding exactly as expected. The Flag has been inspired to embrace life once again. His _selflessness_ , his _compassion_ , has now led him to seek out the muta-humans. He will try to improve their reputation around the world, and when that happens, the Soul Ring shall be revealed. The history books say that the X-Patrol will fight a muta-human whose origin dates back to ancient Egypt. This muta-human possesses the Soul Ring. All I need, is **_**time**_ **…** "

"Very well, I shall extend my patience… deliver to me the Soul Ring, and I will uphold my end of our agreement… you are dismissed."

The hologram vanished, leaving Red Zoom alone. The Nazi walked over to a shelf and picked up an ancient relic with Egyptian symbols on it. As he thought about how flawlessly his plan was acting out, he chuckled at the relic.

" _En Savage Nur…_ " he quietly chanted. " _En Savage Nur_ …"

 **To Be Continued!**

* * *

 **Rick Hill(Maria Hill/Rick Flagg)**

 **Thaddeus Henshaw(Thaddeus Ross/Hank Henshaw)**

 **The Bender(Batroc/Ragdoll)**


	16. Enter X-Patrol part 1

**Chapter VIII: Enter the X-Patrol!**

* * *

 **Troy, OH. 1999**

Raymond Summers sobbed as he hid from the angered mob. His eyes had somehow unleashed devastating beams of pure energy that had destroyed half of his elementary school. He had closed his eyes, ran away, and hadn't opened them ever since. He wondered if his parents were looking for him, or if they were trying to protect his baby brother, either way, he hoped they were safe. When he heard the angered adults getting closer to him, he braced himself for the worst, but it never came.

" _Stand up…_ " Ray heard a voice in his head. " _Stand up_ …" The voice came again. Keeping his eyes closed, Ray did what he was told. " _Now, take six steps forward. Turn left. Another four steps. Good. Now, just hold still for a moment…_ " Ray felt two hands place something over his face. " _Now, open your eyes…_ " Ray hesitated at first, but then slowly allowed his eyelids to slide open. To his surprise, nothing bad happened. He looked around to see that the mob was frozen in place. He continued to look around until he saw a well-dressed man in a wheelchair.

" _It's all right, Raymond. You're safe now…_ " The man's lips didn't move, yet Ray was certain he could hear his voice. " _My name is Niles Xavier. I'm a friend of your parents. They have agreed to let you come to my school for gifted youngsters. I promise you a chance to learn and grow in an environment without prejudice or harassment. And I would be honored if you would be my first student._ "

"I… I can hear you… but, how…?"

"I am a muta-human, Raymond. Just like _you_." Niles spoke out loud. "I was born with the ability to read minds, and control them to an extent. At first, I thought this ability was a curse. Just like you probably believe _your_ ability is a curse. But I can help you, if you'll _let me_."

* * *

 **Present Day**

"And _that's_ how the Civil Rights Movement ended." Sharon was educating Steve on the past seventy years as she drove them to Westchester. "But, what do you say we take a _break_ from history lessons. I made a special CD; complete with 50's and 60's, music."

"Sound's good." Steve smiled at his girlfriend as she put the disc into the car's radio. For the next few minutes, the two soldiers listened to songs by Elvis, the Platters, and the Beatles.

"By the way…" Sharon began again. "Was I your _first_ _kiss?_ "

Steve blushed. "You mean, since I got back from the dead? Or… _ever?_ "

"It's _okay_. I'm not _teasing_ you, I was just curious. Was there ever anyone special in your life before you became the Flag? Or _during_ the war, was there ever a… _Lady-Flag?_ "

"No… no, you were my first." Steve chuckled. " _Lady-Flag_ , that's pretty funny. Maybe if _you_ ever get super-powers, that's what we'll call _you_."

"Well, I doubt that's very likely." Sharon laughed. "Unless you can _bite me_ and turn me into a speedster."

"What?" Steve cocked an eyebrow.

"Sorry," Sharon groaned. "My cousin made me stay up last night to watch a _Twilight_ marathon."

"What's _Twilight?_ "

"Oh, my God…" Sharon's eyes widened. "Okay, you are _way_ luckier than you think, Steve."

At last, they reached the address. Surprisingly, the campus looked more like a private mansion rather than a school campus. They parked the car and made their way to the front entrance. When they entered, they were greeted by a pale man dressed in a neat suit.

"Well, hello, my name is Garth McCoy. I'm one of the teachers here."

"I'm Sharon West." the blonde agent extended her arm in greeting. "This is my associate, Captain Steve Allen. We're here to see one of your faculty members. Is Ms. Olafsdotter here?"

"Bobbi?" Garth showed a worried expression. "She hasn't gotten herself into _trouble_ , has she?"

"No, Mr. McCoy, she hasn't done anything wrong." Steve assured the teacher. "We just want a few words with her."

A long silence followed after the Captain's request. McCoy twisted his face into a perplexed expression. Rubbing his chin, he looked up and down both of the agents as if he were studying them.

"Well, you don't _look_ like those extremists who've threatened this school." He concluded as he adjusted his glasses. "Very well, Bobbi's classroom is down the hall, to the left. Directly _between_ the ecology classroom and the gymnasium. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a physics class to teach."

"He seems _nice_." Sharon commented as they made their way down the hall.

When they finally came to the right class, Ms. Olafsdotter was teaching social studies. "Now, on his journey to Greenland, Leif Erikson mistakenly landed in America in 1001 A.D., almost _five hundred years_ before Christopher Columbus. This made him the first European to set foot in the new world. And while it was not his original destination, it did open up new resources for his fellow Vikings. And what kind of resources do you think the Vikings were looking for?" As her students raised their hands, Bobbi noticed the two agents standing outside her door. "That's going to be your assignment for tonight. Class dismissed."

The students eagerly jumped from their seats to leave early. Bobbi pinched the bridge of her nose as she turned off the projector and turned on the lights. She sat down at her desk and invited her visitors inside. "I never should have spent my spring break in California…" She sighed wearily, opening a drawer in her desk to get a bottle of scotch. "So, is this the part where you take me in to put me on some _lab table_ to be dissected?"

"We're not here to hurt you, Bobbi." Steve interrupted. " _I'm_ here to _thank_ you."

The Norwegian woman put the scotch down to get a good look at Steve. She couldn't believe what she'd heard; no one ever wanted to _thank_ a muta-human. She wondered if there was some kind of catch. ("Why is that? What kind of game are you playing?")

("I may be from a simpler time, Ms. Olafsdotter, but I'm not afraid of _change_. Not _anymore_. I want to learn more about muta-humans so that I can help the world understand them.")

("Perhaps we should take this up with the Chief.") The muta-human got up from her seat, not noticing that she'd frozen the glass she was holding. "This way, please."

"She wants us to meet someone called the Chief. I assume she means the _headmaster_." Sharon nodded and started after the teacher. " _Wait_ , you're not _impressed_ that I speak Norwegian?"

("If your Norwegian impressed me, I'd let you know.") Sharon winked, flirtatiously.

Bobbi led them to a large office in the back of the building. Inside, they saw a bald man in a wheelchair reading over the contents of a manila folder. When he looked up, he smiled at the silver-haired woman. "Barbra, this is a pleasant surprise." He brushed his beard as he spoke. "Who are these kind people? Parents looking to enroll a new student?"

"No, Chief X, this is _Captain Allen_. The man I saved last week. I thought it'd be best if he spoke with you."

"I see…" the man said gravely. "Could you please fetch Garth, Shayera, Lilith, Edward, and Ororo for me?"

"What about Blaster?"

"Raymond is visiting his family, he'll be back on Monday."

Bobbi nodded and went to find the other teachers. The man introduced himself as Prof. Niles Xavier and invited his guests to sit down. Steve and Sharon waited patiently as the elderly professor scribbled into the folder in front of him. When he did close it, he placed his hands together and didn't look up at the two agents.

"Prof. Xavier," Sharon began. "We came here to try and improve the relationship between human and muta-hu-"

"I _know_ why you're here, Agent West. I also know that you are an agent of the government security division, S.H.I.E.L.D. I also know that Captain Allen is the Flag." The two partners were shocked. Before they could respond, the professor used his telepathy to communicate with them. " _Make no mistake, I am not threatening either of you, nor do I have any desire to harm you, but my students and I do not feel very optimistic about your proposal, Captain Allen…_ "

"B-but, how did you say that?" Steve was confused.

"He's a telepath, like me." Another woman with scarlet hair walked into the room alongside Bobbi. Next followed Garth, two more women, and another young man in a workout suit, all of them having very serious faces. "We are Chief X's first students… we are the _X-Patrol_."

"We are _all_ muta-humans." The African woman said. "Everyone in this school was born with an uncanny ability, Captain."

"We have often thought about going public with the true nature of this school," the man in the gym suit put in. "but when all is said and done, we'd be confronted with the same amount of prejudice as we have before."

"I… I understand your fears." Steve considered his next words very carefully. "I was scared, too. I was afraid of living in a world seventy years ahead of my own. But I chose to try and make a difference. I believe that I can help eliminate people's fears of what they don't understand, to _end_ prejudice, altogether. Look, we came to _help_ , but if you feel as if you're not ready, that's fine. Just _think_ about it. That's all I ask."

"Thank you, Captain Allen. We shall consider your offer." The Professor said calmly.

"Thank you, here's my card." Steve placed a small slip of paper on the desk, and led Sharon out of the building.

* * *

"That could've gone better."

"They have a _point_ , Steve." Sharon commented as she started the car. "People are often afraid of what they don't understand. _Fear_ is what causes hatred, and _hatred_ is what gives prejudice its power. You offered to _help_ , which is more than anyone _else_ would've done for them."

"Thanks, Sharon." Steve sighed. "But it just doesn't _feel_ like it's enough."

As Sharon and Steve drove away, they didn't notice the battered and beaten young man stumbling through the school's courtyard.

Meanwhile, Chief X's first students were arguing about the Captain's offer. Garth, Edward, and Ororo were in favor of taking the Flag's word and giving him a chance to work with them. Lilith, Bobbi, and Shayera, on the other hand, were feeling rather skeptical.

"Captain Alan has been known for caring for the down-trodden and the oppressed." Garth started. "And the last time I checked, _muta-humans_ are quiet down-trodden and oppressed."

"This isn't just the Flag, Garth." Shayera interjected. "He works for the _government_. Now, let's say he _is_ on our side, that doesn't mean that his _superiors_ are!"

"Well, _I_ believe that we should give him a chance to help us be accepted!" This time, Edward cut in. "I'm getting tired of hiding away from humanity out of fear!"

"We're not _hiding_ , Ed!" Lilith groaned. "We're just… _blending in_ with the majority."

"Well, that's easy for _you_ to say!" Edward tapped the watch on his wrist, causing his appearance to flicker until his true form appeared. He was covered in purple fur, with two horns on his forehead, and a tail. "You don't look like _this!_ "

"Edward, please, calm down!" Ororo placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. She squeezed gently, trying to calm her oldest friend. "We all know you feel insecure about your appearance-modifier, but you know we only want to protect you, right?"

"I… I _know_ , Ororo." Edward calmed down and re-activated his disguise. "I still think we should take up the Captain's offer. Have a little _faith?_ "

"Well, _sorry_ , Ed." Bobbi grunted. "But not _everybody_ thumps a Bible like you."

Suddenly, Xavier groaned in pain. Grasping his head, he buckled in his wheelchair from some unknown source of agony. His students huddled around him, asking what was wrong.

"R-Raymond…" Xavier stuttered. "Raymond has returned… but he's been _hurt_. I… I've never felt him so _afraid_ before… so _angered_. He's on the tennis court, hurry!"

Edward left in a puff of smoke, leaving the others to follow on foot. In a matter of minutes, Edward was found helping a young man in jeans, a leather jacket and a yellow visor over his eyes. When they laid Ray down in the infirmary, he was still breathing heavily. Xavier wheeled over to his student's side, probing his mind to find what had happened.

"He was just visiting his family…" he informed the others. "It seems his parents called him yesterday after his brother's powers manifested. But… someone was… _waiting_ for him. _Dear, God_ …"

* * *

 **At That Moment**

"This is a big mistake, Gambler." A gruff voice called to the fiery-haired woman in the red dress. "These freaks are _unpredictable_. Imagine what's gonna happen when they find a way out of here."

"Now, now, General Wade Stryker…" The woman tilted her glasses at the aged soldier. "We had a _deal_ , remember. I give you the funds for your little crusade, and in return, you leave a few of them _alive_ so that I can use them in my games. Unless, of course, you think I'm being _unfair_ …"

Stryker said nothing. He quietly walked out the door, leaving the Gambler free to return to her balcony. As she grabbed her microphone, she looked through the glass to see that her best fighter was about to score another victory.

Two muta-humans were locked in an electrified cage, fighting each other to the bitter end. The Ukrainian girl had stones covering her fists as she punched the tattooed Mexican covered in flames. The crowd roared in excitement at the brutality between the muta-humans. The Mexican finally collapsed from his injuries, and the Ukrainian pumped her fists into the air as she screamed in triumph.

" _SORRY, EL FUEGO…_ " Gambler's voice echoed throughout the stadium. The pyro-kinetic muta-human was dragged out of the cage by two men. "BUT IT SEEMS THAT NOT EVEN _YOU_ CAN BURN THIS GIRL OUT! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, STILL THE UNDEFEATED CHAMP… TREMOR! AND MAKE SURE YOU COME BACK TOMORROW WHEN WE BRING IN FRESH CHALLENGERS! ONLY HERE, AT MUTA-BRAWL!"

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Raymond Summers aka Blaster(Cyclops/The Ray)**

 **Niles Xavier aka Chief X(Professor X/The Chief)**

 **Bobbi Olafsdotter aka Ice Maiden(Ice Man/Ice)**

 **Garth McCoy aka the Creature(The Beast/Aqualad)**

 **Shayera Worthington aka Dove(Angel/Hawkgirl)**

 **Lilith Grey aka Omen(Jean Grey/Lilith Clay)**

 **Ororo Mardon aka Tempest(Storm/Weather Wizard)**

 **Edward Wagner aka Nightcaster(Nightcrawler/Kid Devil)**

 **The Gambler(Arcade/Roulette)**

 **Wade Stryker(William Stryker/Wade Eiling)**

 **St. Juan Santana aka El Fuego(Pyro/El Diablo)**

 **Tara Petrakis aka Tremor(Avalanche/Terra)**


	17. Enter X-Patrol part 2

**Chapter VIII: Enter the X-Patrol! Part 2**

* * *

 **Detroit, MI. 2005**

"No! Stop! Stop it!" Shayera Worthington struggled against the restraints as the surgeons prepared their tools.

"Shayera, sweetie, _calm down!_ " Her mother tried to calm her down so that the nurse could administer the sedative, but she was too strong. The teenage muta-human finally broke free. Knocking everyone else to the ground with her wings. "Shayera, _please_ , don't do this…" her mother begged. "This is what we _want_."

"No, mom…" Shayera sneered as she moved towards the window. "It's what _you_ want." With that, Shayera flew away from Detroit, with no intention of ever going back.

* * *

 **Tallahassee, FL. 2004.**

"Okay, here goes nothing…"

When Garth McCoy was thirteen years old, he had developed gills on his neck, giving him the ability to breathe under water. Realizing that he was a muta-human, Garth kept his unique ability a secret and dedicated his life to finding a way of curing his muta-human genes. Now that he was in college, he had enough resources to create such a cure.

He took the syringe, injected it into his thigh, and looked in the mirror to see the results. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as his gills started to vanish. But then, not only did the gills return, but his skin started to turn into a deep shade of aquamarine. He started to feel a painful change in his body; his flesh changed into scales, his fingernails turned into claws, and his back grew a dorsal fin.

* * *

 **Saint Paul, MN. 2002.**

"Geez, Bobbi. It's twenty degrees below freeing, and you're walking around as if it were spring."

Bobbi Olafsdotter knew why she was immune to the cold. Just a month ago, she had gained the natural ability to freeze the water molecules in the air. The only other people who knew about this were her parents, who convinced her to keep it a secret from everyone else.

"There can only be _one_ explanation… I'm not a sissy like you." She and her friends shared a good laugh.

* * *

 **Westchester, NY. 2000.**

Niles Xavier wheeled his way into his second student's room when he heard her cry out. Lilith Grey tossed and turned in her sleep, as if something was tearing her apart from the inside. Xavier used his own telepathy to see what hurt her. It took a great deal of effort, but he managed to block out the voices that plagued her mind, causing her to wake with a start.

"It's alright, Lilith."

"NO!" She cried. "No, it's getting _worse!_ You don't know! You don't know what it's like to be afraid to shut your eyes!"

"Oh, I assure you _I do…_ "

* * *

 **Westchester, NY. 2012**

"So, I here you're thinking about leaving?" Edward Wagner had finally found the Kenyan muta sitting on the roof of the school. During their time together, the two had grown rater close. She was one of the few people to look past his demonic appearance, and see him for the good man that he was. While he admired her lively attitude and artistic use of her powers over the weather.

"I'm afraid so…" Ororo Mardon said solemnly. "It's nothing _personal_ , Ed. I just… I miss Kenya. I miss the Serengeti. I miss my _home_."

"I understand, Ororo." Edward said, sympathetically. "Believe it or not, I miss the circus, and the Chief's stoicism scares me _immensely_. I won't try to stop you, but… before you go, I'd like to show you something." Edward held Ororo's hand and teleported them into the school. Ororo cupped her hands over her mouth, Edward had teleported her into a room with a window ceiling, a queen-sized bed, and many beautiful plants. "I got permission from the Chief to fix this room up for you. Could you perhaps make a home from this? Even if only for a short while?"

Tears of joy ran down Ororo's face as she pulled her closest friend into a thankful kiss. "It's beautiful, Ed. Thank you, so _much_."

"Does this mean you'll stay?" He asked hopefully.

"On _one condition_ … you have to stay here _with_ me. Forever."

"Deal."

* * *

 **Albany, NY. Yesterday.**

"So, I guess he and I have more in common than we thought…" Raymond Summers spoke with his parents. His brother had hidden away in his room, refusing to come out.

"We knew we had to call you as soon as this happened, Ray." His mother explained. "He's… he's just being-"

"Grant?" Ray interjected. "Yeah, I know. I'll talk to him. I'll try to get him to come with me, and then…" Ray looked around the house, trying to find the nearest window. "Someone's coming."

Suddenly, the front door burst open, and a group of armed men stormed into the house. Before he could activate his visor, Ray was hit with a tranquilizing shock to the chest. As he lay on the ground, he watched helplessly as the men gunned down his parents. Standing over him was General Wade Stryker; Vietnam veteran and xenophobic extremist.

"One of the _most powerful_ muta-humans on the face of the Earth." He said, sinisterly. "Y'know who called you that, Summers? _Deathgrip!_ You and your freak of a brother are coming with me."

As Ray began to black out, he heard his brother screaming for help.

* * *

 **Westchester, NY. Present.**

"The last thing I remember, I woke up in one of their trucks with my hands tied up. I managed to tumble out and walk here, but I don't think they saw me."

The X-Patrolman known as Blaster had finally woken up and explained what had happened. His friends were deeply concerned about the circumstances. None of them had any idea why Stryker was abducting muta-humans, nor did they know how he was able to find them in the first place.

"Chief, they've got my brother… we need to find him."

"We will, Raymond." Chief X helped his student off of the bed and led the group to the lower levels of the building. They reached a circular room with a strange helmet sitting on a control board. "I suppose it was only a matter of _time_ before I showed this to you all. This is mento, a machine that amplifies my telepathy. It's also how I found all of you."

"How is that even _possible?_ " Garth asked.

"I'll show you, just don't _move_ …" Xavier put the helmet on, flipped two switches, and pushed a large white button. Just then, the room was filled with a holographic map of the Earth, illuminated with white lights. "These lights represent every, living being on Earth. These are all the humans…" Xavier pushed another button, and replaced the white lights with fewer red lights. "And _these_ are all of the _muta-humans_." Xavier closed his eyes to concentrate until at last, he located the brainwaves of Grant Summers.

The X-Patrol were horrified to see that Ray's brother, along with dozens of other muta-humans were being held captive in some kind of prison. A few of them appeared to be adults, but most of them didn't even appear to be any older than sixteen. Xavier's heart ached as he felt their fear, anger, and hopelessness. At last, he took off the helmet. "Boston… you'll find them in Boston… good luck, my X-Patrol."

The muta-humans rushed back upstairs to get into their specialized suits. Once they were dressed, they made their way into a hanger that contained the team's aircraft. Everyone strapped in as Garth took the controls. In no time at all, the Uncanny X-Patrol were on their way to Boston.

* * *

 **Later That Night**

"Just look at them…" Stryker said as he gazed out at the crowd. "All these people come to see a bunch of freaks try and kill each other."

"You really don't like us, do you, General Stryker?" one of the bodyguards asked.

"On the _contrary_ , I'm _grateful_. These freaks have no right to be here, with _normal_ people."

"Well, I mean… yeah, they're _scary_ , but, most of them are just _kids_ , General. Don't you feel just a _little bit_ of guilt for hurting them?" Stryker craned his head towards the bodyguard.

"Guilt? Is that what they felt when they caused chaos on our streets? Is that what Deathgrip felt when he brought them together to form a terrorist group? Is that what _my wife_ felt when she gave me a muta-human son?"

Before the guard could respond, the Gambler walked out of her dressing room and headed for the balcony. She clutched the microphone in her hand, tangling the cord around her finger. The box office was sold out tonight, and Tremor had gotten a good night's rest. The tattooed hostess smiled brightly as the crowd grew restless. She cleared her throat, turned on the microphone, and almost laughed as her voice boomed out of the speakers.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO MUTA-BRWL!" The crowd roared in excitement as the Ukrainian muta-human known as Tremor walked into the electrified cage. As she drank in the crowd's cheers, four men carried a metal case with jumper cables attached into the ring. "WE'VE GOT A SPECIAL TREAT FOR YOU TONIGHT, FOLKS! WHO BETTER TO TAKE ON SOMEONE WHO CONTROLS THE EARTH, THAN THE EARTH, HERSELF?! STRAIGHT FROM AFGHANISTAN, PLEASE GIVE A WARM, MUTA-BRAWL WELCOME TO… SANDSTORM!"

The goons opened the box, and dumped a half-naked, Afghan girl onto the cold floor. The poor girl shuddered in fear as the crowd yelled at her, attacking her with verbal threats and racial slurs. She couldn't tell if they hated her more because she was a muta-human, or because she was a Muslim. All she knew was that she had to run away.

But as the fight was preparing to start, the X-Patrol had already begun to infiltrate the building's prison. The team planned to split up: Tempest and Nightcaster volunteered to wait behind and try to free the two in the cage; Ice Maiden, Dove, Blaster, and Prophet proceeded downstairs to free the others; and Creature snuck into the control room to try and deactivate the electrical fields.

As Tremor summoned the stones to form around her arms, Sandstorm quickly got to her feet. Tremor swung her fist, but Sandstorm turned her body into a cloud of sand and passed right through her. The cloud circled around the cage, hoping to find a way out. But the field was too strong, and it forced her to revert back to her solid form. The crowd laughed at her misfortune, but Tremor proceeded to attack. Sandstorm continued to shift in and out of her sand-form, but the crowd started to grow bored.

"Fight!" Tremor said, at last. "You _have_ to fight! Or they'll kill us, _both!_ "

Sandstorm saw that the goons all held guns in their arms, ready to fire. Sandstorm thought about how the Afghan terrorists killed her family and brought her here to be sold as property. A righteous fury swelled up in her belly, and she finally lashed out. She circled around Tremor, flowing into her mouth and down her throat. Tremor choked and gagged, trying to force her opponent out of her body. When Sandstorm did release her, Tremor barely had enough time to take a fresh breathe before the sandy muta punched her into the cage.

The crowd gasped as the electric cage fried the skin on Tremor's face. After the Ukrainian recovered and revealed her scarred face, Sandstorm's sanity returned. As did her fear.

("I'm sorry…") She trembled as Tremor marched towards her. ("I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, _I'm sorry!_ ")

Suddenly, the lights went out, and everyone in the crowd screamed in panic. Tremor took advantage of the confusion and burrowed her way out of the arena. The goons finally spotted Sandstorm and got ready to open fire, but somehow she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

When Sandstorm opened her eyes, she saw a dark-skinned woman and a man covered in purple fur, both wearing a belt brandished with an X. "You're… you're _them_ …" she spoke in broken English. "You're the X-Patrol. The heroes."

"We're _no_ heroes, fraulein." Nightcaster patted her on the shoulder. "We're just looking out for our _own_."

"Blaster just called us down to the basement." Ororo helped the girl up. "He said the guards are after them. _Good_ , it's been a while since we've been in a good fight."

"I knew I was right to fall _madly in love_ with you all those years ago, Tempest." Nightcaster wrapped his arm around his teammate's waist. "Shall we, my dear?"

"Lead the way." She turned to the young Afghan and offered her hand. "Are you coming, Sandstream?"

"Actually, it's _Sandstorm_ …" The girl reluctantly took her hand. "And my _real_ name is Sooraya Nimbus-"

In the blink of an eye, the three muta-humans were down in the basement with the others. The found the cages that kept the others imprisoned. Blaster was searching each cage until he finally found his brother.

"Ray? Is that you?" Just then, Nightcaster showed up to check on his comrades. But Grant wasn't familiar with the purple teleporter. "Uhh, Ray? What the hell is that?"

"Hey, guys! I shut down the electric fields! Did you guys find the others" the Creature showed up, in all his gilled and scaly glory.

"WHAT THE HELL IS _THAT?!_ "

Prophet used her telekinesis to break the locks on their cages. Blaster hugged his brother tightly and promised he wouldn't let anything happen to him. Unfortunately, everyone heard footsteps heading towards them at a quick pace. The X-Patrol knew that they couldn't take on all of those men by themselves; they'd need to enlist the help of their new friends.

"Everyone, listen to me!" Blaster tried to get their attention. "We need to _fight_ our way out!"

"We _can't!_ " a young Latino boy said. "Not all of us can _control_ our powers!"

"Listen to me!" Blaster snapped his fingers. "A long time ago I was just like you! Alone and afraid! I thought my powers made me cursed, but then I met a wise man who _guided_ me through my troubles! He told me something I'll _never_ forget; no one is _cursed_ , they are only _gifted_. So, tell us… what are your _gifts?_ " The young men and women looked surprised. For the first time in so long, someone was offering to help them.

Just then, a group of men showed up, and aimed their guns at the muta-humans. A very tall Russian pushed Blaster and Prophet out of the way just in time and transformed his skin into steel. A Native American followed closely behind him, leaping and dodging the line of fire as he kicked and punched his way through his enemies.

Sooraya teamed up with two other muta-humans to help Tempest and Nightcaster. Seeing the three children cooperating with each other gave the two X-Patrolmen a wonderful feeling in their chests. Edward teleported next to his love and whispered a suggestion into her ear. Judging from the smile on her face, he assumed she'd agree.

Stryker watched as the X-Patrol led their new allies out of the arena. He was smart enough to admit when he was defeated, but not without taking his special project with him. He made his way into the secret lab, and had his men prepare Weapon T for transport.

Meanwhile, the X-Patrol had finally gotten the captives onto the aircraft and were setting off for home.

* * *

 **Later**

Chief X welcomed the new muta-humans to his school, offering them the opportunity to start a new life at the institute. The older mutas became faculty while the younger ones were enrolled as students. Ororo and Edward volunteered to help Sooraya find her dorm. Once they arrived, Edward presented her with a gift; a traditional niqab. The girl happily took the cloth and put it on immediately.

"Thank you, Mr. Nightcaster. You don't feel uncomfortable with me wearing this?"

"Sooraya…" Edward hugged the new student. "The whole point of the Xavier's Institute is so that we can learn and grow _without_ prejudice. You shouldn't be ashamed of your traditions."

"But… not _everyone_ feels the same way." Sooraya said solemnly.

"You're an _outsider_ , Nimbus." Sooraya turned around to see a Japanese girl lying on the top bunk, fiddling with her phone. "That's a _good thing_. I've been an outsider my _whole life_. You get to tell people to _shove it_."

"This is _Noriko_ , she's the girl who worked with you to help Nightcaster and Tempest." The Latino boy from earlier spun around in the chair at his desk. "And _I_ am Cisco Blaire. I helped, too."

"And there is a _reason_ you're all here together." Ororo stepped forward. "After witnessing your extraordinary performance today, Edward and I believe that you have what it takes to be X-Patrolmen." The three students were surprised at Ororo's words.

"Unfortunately, the Chief will not allow you to join until you are all eighteen years of age." Edward continued. "But until then, Ororo and I will do our best to train you to harness your gifts. And, if you're _up to it_ , take you out once in a while to fight crime."

"Seriously?!" Cisco was excited. "We're gonna be a superhero team _inside_ a superhero team?"

"I'm _up_ for it." Noriko sat up.

"So am _I_." Sooraya agreed. The five muta-humans huddled together, placing their hands over each other. And together, they vowed to look after each other, and their fellow students. They may have been refugees, but they would go on to be great heroes.

* * *

 **Meanwhile**

Tremor limped down the alleyway, trying to get as far away as she could. She believed that if she could hide away for a while, she'd eventually be able to stow away onto a cargo ship and head back to the Ukraine. But her trip was cut short by a wall of flames.

"We got unfinished business, chica!" El Fuego was covered in fire as he approached the runaway woman. But before he could do anything, the two mutas were restrained by metal pipes that sprang up from the ground.

"Brothers and sisters should not _fight_ amongst each other…" an ominous figure stepped out of the shadows. "I'm here to invite you both into my Brotherhood."

"Who are you?" Tremor asked.

"Throughout my life, I have gone by _many_ names… Joseph Eisenhardt, Wilson Magnus, Slade Lehnsherr, but I _prefer_ the name… _Deathgrip_."

 **To Be Continued!**

* * *

 **Sooraya Nimbus aka Sandstorm(Dust/Mist)**

 **Grant Summers aka Chaos(Havoc/Damage)**

 **Henrik Rasputin aka Comrade Steel(Colossus/Citizen Steel)**

 **Tyson Proudstar aka Rampage(Warpath/Apache Chief)**

 **Larry Guthrie aka Laserbeam(Cannonball/Negative Man)**

 **Cindy Ferguson aka Traveler(Blink/Gypsy)**

 **Drake Cassidy aka Black Banshee(Black Canary/Banshee)**

 **Noriko Hawkins aka Sureshock(Surge/Static Shock)**

 **Kiran Pryde aka Eclipse(Shadowcat/Solstice)**

 **The Refugees(X-Factor/Outsiders)**

 **Joseph Eisenhardt aka Wilson Magnus aka Slade Lehnsherr aka Deathgrip(Magneto/Deathstroke)**


	18. Spectacular

**This is it, folks! This'll be the first chapter that has a cameo by yours truly! Leave a review if you can spot me!**

 **Chapter IX: Spectacular!***

 **New York City, NY. Over 500 Feet in the Air**

Bart Parker smiled underneath his mask as he fell towards the ground. Once he reached the proper altitude, he flicked his wrist out to launch a magnetic cable built into his costume, laughing hysterically as he swung over the city. As he felt the wind brush against his face, he wondered if it was what real super-speed felt like.

Although his codename was the Amazing _Speedster-Man_ , 100 miles an hour was his limit on the ground. This often made him feel inferior to his mentor. However, there were a few things that he could do that the Flag couldn't. By vibrating the molecules in his hands and feet, he could adhere to almost any surface, he was also more agile and flexible, but what he considered to be his best power was his accelerated-vision. Whenever danger was imminent, everything around him would slow down until he spotted the threat.

Unfortunately, super-speed was the only power that could've prevented him from being late to work. " _At least it's a Saturday…_ " He thought. Metropia was only a few miles outside of Queens, making it easier for him to keep his job as a photographer. He swung into an alley and changed into his street clothes so that he could deliver his pictures to W. Walter White, owner of the _Daily Times._ As he rushed inside, he collided with what felt like a brick wall.

"Oh! Sorry, Mr. Milton!" the teenager stammered as the mild-mannered reporter helped him off of the ground.

"Its okay, Bart." Kent Milton smiled as he adjusted his glasses. "In fact, I was just _looking_ for you. I'd like you to meet a friend of mine who's applying for the new photographer position. This is Ayesha Abdallah."

"Nice to meet you, Bart." The shy girl shook Bart's hand. "I-I look forward to working with you."

"PARKER!"

" _Uh-oh…_ " Bart thought. There was only one person in the world who could pronounce his name at that high of a decibel. "Hello, Mr. White. I've got those pictures for you."

The publisher grabbed the pictures out of his hands and examined them carefully. "Brilliant! I'll never understand how a slacker like you can get these pictures, Parker!"

* * *

 **Yesterday**

Four men wearing ski masks had silently broken into a bank in downtown Queens. They had shut down the silent alarm, picked the locks, and were finally collecting the money. Nothing could have possibly gone wrong.

"Y'know, for future reference…" the thieves turned around to see a young man in a skin-tight suit, casually leaning against the wall. "If you're gonna _rob banks_ , don't dress like _bank robbers_."

"What're you? Are you a _cop?_ " One of the men drew his gun.

"A _cop?_ " Speedster-Man asked, annoyed. "You _really_ think I'm a cop? I'm wearing red and blue spandex with big white goggles, and you think I'm a cop?"

The thieves barely had time to fire before Speedster-Man leaped into the air and onto the ceiling. After adjusting his cable-shooters, Speedster-Man fired a net that trapped most of the criminals. Suddenly, everything around him slowed to a crawl. He whipped around fast enough to dodge two bullets. He then delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the last thief's chin. All the while, Bart's automated camera captured every moment of it.

* * *

 **Present**

"Did you get any photos of Speedster-Man cracking the safe?"

" _No_ , Mr. White…" Bart sighed. "Speedster-Man didn't _crack the safe_. Those _robbers_ did, he _chased_ them away."

"So, Speedster-Man hires robbers to crack a safe, and then chases them away! The perfect publicity stunt!"

" _Ugh! Why do I do this to myself?_ " Bart thought.

"Good work, kid. You pick up your check at Miss Brant's desk."

" _Oh, yeah. That's why._ " As his employer walked away, Bart went back to the new photographer. But before he could say anything, an alarm went off on his phone, indicating that he needed to meet up with the Flag for today's training exercise. "Uh, sorry, Ayesha, I… gotta meet up with my tutor."

"Oh, okay…" Ayesha was bemused as the young teen dashed out the door.

"Don't take it personally, Ayesha." The young girl turned to see a brunette woman in a violet blouse and a white skirt. "Almost every man in this building has an absent mind."

"Lois! Uh, I didn't see you there." Kent blushed.

"Case in point." Lois Brant smirked as she walked back to her desk. "By the way, Littlesberg, your cousin called asking for you. Something about buying a house down in Kansas?"

"Oh! Thanks, Lois!" Kent was so excited that he failed to see that he was about to run into one of his fellow reporters. "Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright." The reporter smiled as Kent helped him up. " _I'm_ the one who wasn't watching where I was going. By the way, you dropped your glasses."

"Thank you." Kent took the glasses and nodded at the reporter. For a moment, the man was stunned. He could have sworn that, without his glasses, Kent looked exactly like Metropia's champion of justice.

" _Nah,_ " He concluded. " _Hyperman working as a_ reporter _? Give me a break_."

* * *

 **A Few Minutes Later**

Bart was back in his costume with his street clothes tucked into his backpack. He found the Flag standing outside of an isolated cemetery. He was kneeling down, in front of one headstone, whispering something. It wasn't until he did the Sign of the Cross with his hand that Bart realized he was praying for his fallen comrades. He snapped to attention when his teacher stood up.

"It's a shame, isn't it?" Steve said, solemnly. "Most of these men were husbands and fathers, fighting to protect their loved ones. But they didn't get the chance to see them grow…"

"Cap?" Bart asked, concerned.

"That's one of the most _important_ lessons that I can teach you." Flag looked at Speedster-Man with a serious face. "We fight _every_ fight as if our _lives_ depend on it. Because someday, it just _might_." There was a long silence as Bart reflected on what the war hero said. "But for now, let's focus on the _physical aspect_ of your training."

"Okay, so, how do we do that?

"We start by unlocking your _full_ speed-force potential."

"My… my _what?_ " Bart scratched his head in confusion. "What's the _speed-force?_ "

"The speed-force is the extra-dimensional source of power for all speedsters throughout the multi-verse." Flag explained. "Every speedster taps into in different ways, but it takes _time_ and _practice_ to achieve absolute mastery over it. When we unlock our full potential with the speed force, we can do much more than just run at super-speed. We can vibrate our molecules to pass through solid objects, defy gravity for a brief period of time; there was even one day when I accidentally traveled back in time."

"Wait, _what?!_ " Bart was shocked to hear that such a thing was possible.

"Fortunately, it was only by _one day_. So, all I had to do was repeat everything I had experienced."

"Are you _kidding_ me?!" Bart dug his fingers into his long hair as he rambled. "You're telling me you can go _back in time?!_ Why don't you just go back to 1945, _right now?!_ Better yet, why don't you go back _further_ and save Kid-Flag?!"

Steve groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't blame his friend for being curious about this subject, but if they were going to get anywhere with their conversation, he'd need him to drop it. He looked at Bart and smiled slightly. "That's a good idea…" He began. "Maybe I should just go back and make sure Hitler stays in art school. Or go back and see to it that slavery doesn't become a thing. Or, maybe, prevent the pilgrims from committing mass genocide to the Native Americans. And while I'm at it, I may as well go all the way back to the very beginning and keep Eve from eating from the tree of knowledge. Does that sound good to you?"

"Uh… _yeah_ , actually…" Bart shrugged. "I sense there's a _'but'_ coming up."

"Bart… I would _love_ to have my life back in the 1940's again. Just as much as I'd love Wally to be alive. But I'm not a _god_ , I'm a _man_. A man who, for whatever reason, has been granted _extraordinary_ abilities. It isn't my place to change whatever I deem wrong."

Bart was shaken by what his mentor had just said. Not only because how true it sounded, but also because it reminded him of something his Uncle Jay once said to him. "So, how do I unlock my full speed-force potential?"

"I don't know…" Flag crossed his arms. "The speed force works differently for every speedster. It connects to us physically, psychologically, _and_ emotionally. I unlocked _my_ full potential when I finally accepted my mother's death and promised her to move forward with my life. Is there anything that you feel has been holding you back? Do you feel as if you haven't accomplished something, yet? Maybe you feel guilty for something?"

Bart considered. Ever since he got his powers, his self-esteem had gotten much better. He hadn't yet failed to save anyone, either. Suddenly, he realized that there was one thing that he had to do, but he never had the strength to do it. A nervous sensation built up in his entire being as he thought more about it. "Uh… well, there is _one_ thing that's been eating at me. Can… can I meet you tomorrow?"

"Alright." Flag nodded. "Good luck."

"Thanks… I'm gonna _need_ it."

* * *

 **Later**

Bart sped into Queens, changed into his clothes and slowly walked up the steps to his house. As he got closer, he reminded himself that he was doing this for _her_ , not him. He took a deep breath and walked inside. "Aunt Joan? Are you here?"

"Well, you're home early." A woman in her late fifties walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands with a dish towel. "I just put dinner in the oven. Did you have a good day at your apprenticeship?"

"Aunt Joan…" Bart hesitated. "There's something I need to tell you. It's about Uncle Jay…" Joan Parker looked concerned as her nephew led her to the couch.

"Bart, you're starting to scare me…" Joan Parker was very concerned.

"When… I-I… the night that Uncle Jay died, I went someplace where I thought that I could win money to buy a car… but, they didn't _give me_ the money… I was so _angry_ … and then, out of nowhere, a man came running from the guy's office, carrying all of his money. And I… I wanted… _revenge_. I let him run past me and get away. And… and _that man_ I let get away… was the same man who killed Uncle Jay…" At this point, Bart had buried his face into his hands, sobbing. "And I've wanted to tell you for _so long_ … but I was too _afraid_."

Aunt Joan didn't know what to say her own eyes began to water up as she looked down at her lap. At last she pulled her nephew into a tight hug. "Bart… I'm not _mad_."

"I-It was all my fault!" Bart cried. "I was so _mean_ to him that day, Aunt Joan. I-I said _horrible_ things to him! I told him to stop _pretending_ to be my father! _I_ deserved to die, not _him!_ "

"NO!" Joan tried to talk sense into the troubled boy. "Look at me! Bart, _look at me!_ What happened to Jay… it was _horrible_ and _unfair_ , but I do _not_ blame you for what happened! _Never_ say anything like that again! I already lost your uncle, your father, and your mother! I am _not_ going to lose _you_ , too."

"I… I'm just…" Bart's breathing calmed down as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry, Aunt Joan…"

"I _forgive_ you…" the elderly woman smiled softly. But then she put on a serious face and raised a finger for emphasis. " _However_ , I am _very disappoi_ _nted_ in you. It was _wrong_ _enough_ to try your hand at _gambling_ , but you had the chance to stop a crime and you did _nothing?_ " Bart listened closely. "You see, Bart, your uncle had a philosophy that he held onto pretty strongly. And it's one that served him _very, very well_. He believed that if you had the _power_ to help others, then you had a _moral responsibility_ to help others. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I understand, Aunt Joan." Bart smiled and hugged his aunt.

"By the way, have you seen _this?_ " Aunt Joan picked up a newspaper from yesterday with Speedster-Man's picture on the front. "'Speedster-Man: Threat or Menace?'" She read out loud.

"You, uh, you don't _believe_ what the _Times_ say about him, do you?" Bart rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh, I don't _know_ …" Joan smiled. "I saw him on television once or twice last year, and I didn't really like him that much. Flaunting his special abilities around like that, as if he wanted everyone to know he was better than him. But you know the _strangest thing_ happened; after Jay died, he stopped appearing on TV, and started _helping_ people, instead. I suppose _he_ learned a thing or two about responsibility as well."

Bart paused for a moment as his aunt smiled at him. It was obvious what she was thinking; now he had to try and convince her otherwise. "Aunt Joan, _come on_ …" he chuckled, nervously. "Don't you think that if _I_ was Speedster-Man, _you'd_ be the first one to know about it?"

Joan chuckled. "Well, if Speedster-Man _were_ my nephew, I'd want to tell him a few things…" Bart's smile vanished as Joan spoke. "First of all, I'd tell him that this is a _dangerous_ job, so _please_ … _please_ be careful. Then I would tell him he is a _hero_ who is saving _a_ _lot of lives_. But the most _important thing_ , I believe he should know… is that his Aunt Joan is very _proud_ of him." For a moment, nothing was said. Bart just looked at his aunt with a tearful smile. At last, she spoke again. "Well, dinner should be ready soon. Go upstairs and wash up."

"Yes, ma'am." Bart slowly crept up the stairs to the bathroom. When he reached the top, a new sensation made his whole body tingle. His heartbeat sped up, his veins felt electrified, and his soul felt free. He had finally unlocked his full speed force potential.

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 **W. Walter White(J. Jonah Jameson/Perry White)**

 **Lois Brant(Betty Brant/Lois Lane)**

 **Jay Parker(Ben Parker/Jay Garrick)**

 **Joan Parker(May Parker/Joan Garrick)**

 **Yes, this was a filler chapter. Leave a review if you think you found me!**


	19. Only the Good Die Young part 1

**Chapter X: Only the Good Die Young! Part 1**

 **Indianapolis; The Indy Motor Speedway**

Bart Parker screamed excitedly as he rushed around the race track. After the young hero had unlocked the ability to tap into the speed-force, Dr. Richards suggested they find a suitable place to test his new powers. The Speedway was closed this week, so the Flag and Richards agreed that it would be suitable until they could construct a test track of their own back at S.H.I.E.L.D. Flag held the speedometer tightly as Richards cataloged the data on his laptop.

"How's he doing, Dr. Richards?"

" _Splendidly_ , Captain Allen." Richards smiled. "He is approaching six hundred miles per hour, and his vital systems appear to be functioning normally. Although, I _am_ a bit concerned about his-"

Just then, Bart went off-course and crashed through a solid brick wall. This caused the soldier and scientist to jump in shock. "…enthusiasm." Richards finished. Steve rushed over to the crevice while Harrison dropped his laptop and wheeled after him.

"Bart! Are you alright?!" Flag kneeled down to help the boy up.

"Alright? _Alright?!_ Did you see how fast I was going?!" Bart felt giddy. "I was like Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"Who?"

"Okay, let me know when Agent West starts teaching you about the nineties, anyway, that was so _crash!_ "

"Yes, you did…" Steve said as he inspected the wall.

"No, not _my_ crash!" Bart corrected the soldier. "That's just an expression I'm trying to start."

"Well, we can discuss your pointless expressions after you learn _control_." Steve lectured. "Speed isn't enough; you need to anticipate your motions before you act on them. If you run into the battlefield blind, you'll get yourself _killed_."

"Nobody's _perfect_ , Cap." Bart shrugged.

"No, but your tactics _must be_." Steve put his mask back. "We'll continue tomorrow. Take Dr. Richards home and get some rest."

After Flag sped away, Bart wheeled Dr. Richards back to the airship. Bart understood that he still had a lot to learn, but he didn't take kindly to being treated like a child.

"If it's any consolation, Bartholomew…" Richards looked up at his friend and smiled. "I thought your performance today was _very_ 'crash,' indeed. I think you're turning out to be a _wonderful_ super-being."

"Thanks, Dr. Richards." Bart replied happily.

* * *

 **Later; S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters**

Bart sat in the mess hall, glumly munching on a meatball sub. As he ate, he wondered if any of the other Avengers treated their protégés like children. He decided he'd find out soon enough. Marvelgirl walked over to his table and sat down right next to him.

"Hey, Speedster-Man. What's new?" She asked before taking a bite out of her grilled cheese.

"Marvelgirl, does Hyperman ever treat you as if you can't handle yourself?"

"What do you mean?" the Radonian girl cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, I was training with the Flag this morning and he was kinda being a tool."

"Oh, that's just a mentor thing." She sighed. "I know _exactly_ how you feel. Did you know that I'm actually fifteen years _older_ than Hyperman?"

"For _real?_ " Bart was surprised.

"Yeah, but since he got here _first_ he's had a hundred years to grow and mature while _I_ was stuck in the phantom zone as a teenager."

"So… uh, how old _are_ you?"

"About ninety-one." She said casually. "But I have to let Kent be the _mature adult_ who takes care of me while I'm stuck spending seven hours a day at Mid-Town High."

"Mid-Town High?" Bart's eyes went wide. He shaped his fingers into makeshift glasses and positioned them over Marvelgirl's eyes. "I _thought_ your voice sounded familiar! You're Karen Danvers!"

" _SHH!_ " Marvelgirl blushed and looked around to see if anyone heard him. "How do you _know_ that?"

"We share _history_ _class_ together!" Bart pulled his mask down to reveal his face. "It's _me_ , Bart Parker!"

"Wait a minute; _you're_ that kid who hangs out with Harry Griffon and Valerie Jane Watson!" Karen smiled.

"Yep!" Bart smiled back. Suddenly, he got an idea. "Hey, are you doing anything for Spring Break?"

"Not yet. Do have something in mind?"

"Well, I've been talking with Dare, and he said that his mom gave him permission to bring a few friends with him on a trip to Vermont. You in?"

* * *

 **One Week Later**

"Are you guys sure you don't want to tag along?" Karen had extended the invitation to Firehawk and Delta-Ray Donna, but both of them had insisted on remaining at the base.

"I don't exactly _fit in_." Ronnie said, motioning to his containment suit.

"And I have yet to learn more about this planet's culture." Donna reasoned. "However, I've been dusting up on it."

"Uh, I think you mean _brushing up_ , Donna." Ronnie stifled a laugh.

"Whatever." Donna said bluntly as she walked back to her quarters, holding a bag of DVDs in her hand.

"Well, if you change your mind, you can just fly over. We're staying in Queensbury."

With that, Karen swung her backpack over her shoulder and flew off to meet up with Bart. Meanwhile, Aunt Joan was talking to her nephew about the trip.

"I want you to call me _as soon_ as you get there. I packed plenty of snacks for your trip, and left some money for gas on the way back. And I want you to take _lots_ of pictures, please!"

"Aunt Joan, _relax_. You can trust me." Bart assured his Aunt as he answered the door.

"Hey, Bart! Ready to go?" Karen beamed.

"Who is _this?_ Bart never mentioned he'd be traveling with a beautiful girl…" Joan smirked.

"Oh, no! We, uh… we're not… she's just!" Both teens blushed as they tried to ensure Joan that their relationship was purely platonic. Once they calmed down, Bart took a deep breath and introduced the two.

"Aunt Joan, this is Karen Danvers. Karen, Aunt Joan."

"It's nice to meet you, Karen. I'll go pack some extra snacks for you." As Joan walked into the kitchen, Karen took a look around the house. She noticed a lot of vintage furniture, colorful drapes, and two or three lava lamps.

"Did time slow down in this house or something?"

"Yeah, my Aunt Joan and Uncle Jay were hippies or something. I dunno know. When's Tim getting here?"

"He has to drive all the way from Jersey, so it could be a while." Karen shrugged before Tim walked through the door. "Or it may not take any time _at all_."

"Yes, mom, I got here safe…" He spoke into his cell-phone. "No, I didn't have any trouble figuring out where to go. Yes, I'll call you when I get to Vermont. Okay. Okay, love you, too. Bye." Tim sighed heavily after hanging up the phone. " _God_ , that woman is paranoid. So, are you guys ready to go?"

"Yeah, you two go ahead and get in the car, I wanna say goodbye to Aunt Joan."

* * *

 **One Long Drive Later**

"WHOOOOA! WE'RE HALFWAY THERE! WHOA-OH! LIVIN' ON A PRAYER!" The three teens had enjoyed their trip, mostly thanks to Karen's excellent taste in music. They arrived in a small town to stop for gas and ask for directions. Luckily, there was a man putting gas in his motorcycle right in front of them.

"Excuse me, sir?" Karen got his attention. "Do you know where we can find a place to stay the night?"

"Uh, yeah, just down the road there's a cheap motel. Right in-between the Mamma-Mia's Pizza and the Thai place. You can't miss it." The man looked at Karen, showing one of his eyes was hazel and the other was a sickly green.

"Whoa." Karen gasped. "What is up with your eyes?"

"What, you never heard of heterochromia before?" the man sounded offended.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… uh… I'm Karen." She extended her hand as she apologized.

"Jimmy Blaze." The man shook her hand.

"Hey, I think I've heard of you before!" Tim exclaimed. "Yeah, you were a daredevil back in the '89. Aren't you the guy who jumped over three helicopters on a motorcycle?"

"That's me." Jimmy smiled.

"So, like, what are you doing now?"

"Ah, I run the motor shop on Leland Avenue. But to be honest, business is kinda slow. Nobody ever really stays here for very long."

"Why's that?" Bart asked.

"The Demon Rider! _That's why!_ " Everyone turned to see an elderly man limping out of the gas station. "Years ago, at this very gas station a group of bikers attacked my family! They _killed_ my wife, _raped_ my poor daughters, and beat me to the brink of _death_! They told me they would return the very next week! And that night, I prayed to God. I prayed to Jesus. I prayed to the very _universe!_ I prayed to _anyone_ who would listen! I prayed for my daughters' protection… and I prayed for vengeance for my wife! The bikers returned, and for a moment, I feared my prayers went unanswered… until I saw him! The Demon Rider! He appeared out of nowhere, riding a motorcycle covered in green hellfire! With his own hands, he reduced those sinners to a smoking pile of ash, and sent their souls straight to Hell! Ever since then, every sinner who wanders into this town looking for trouble finds themselves at the mercy of the Spirit of Vengeance! You have been _warned_ …" As the elderly man walked back into the station, Jimmy groaned in annoyance.

"Ugh… don't listen to him. I'm _forty percent_ certain he's high on angel dust half the time. Some Good Samaritan must've just seen that he was in trouble and decided to help out."

"Okay… well, we should get going." Tim grabbed Karen and Bart by the arms and pulled them into the car. "Okay, just _smile_ and _wave goodbye_ as we drive away from the crazy old gas man."

* * *

 **Later That Night**

Tim had gone to get some dinner while Bart wanted to look at the fliers to find out what fun activities were nearby. Meanwhile, Karen had decided to take the opportunity to take a shower. After the long drive, she could finally relax as the hot water poured over her skin. As she was just getting out, one of her favorite songs came on the radio. She wrapped her towel around her torso, turned up the music, and began to dance to the beat.

"I'm too sexy for my love, too sexy for my love; my love's going to leave me…" She sang as she untied the knot on her towel to begin dressing. "And I'm too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, yeah, I'm so sexy, it hurts…"

Just as she pulled on her underwear, Bart walked in the door without knocking. "Hey, Karen, you would not _believe_ the kinda stuff they got-" Bart's eyes widened as he saw his friend's fully-exposed chest.

"AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Karen shrieked and pushed Bart out of the room. "GET OUT!" Bart considered it a miracle that she hadn't used her super-strength when pushing him or slamming the door shut. Just then Tim arrived, carrying two pizzas.

"What'd I miss?" He asked.

"I wouldn't go in there right now if I were you." Bart warned. "Let's just leave the food at the door and come back in about… half an hour." Tim put the food outside the door and followed Bart into town. As they walked, Bart looked through the fliers he had collected.

"So, what do you think we should do _first_ in the morning? Haunted segway tours? Monster Mini Golf? Rocky Horror Picture Show?"

"Why did you only grab fliers that sound spooky?" Tim cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't really know. I hate to say it, but I think what that old man said back at the gas station is starting to get to me…"

"Oh, c'mon…" Tim snorted. "You heard what Jimmy said; there _is_ _no_ 'Demon Rider.' That old man was just superstitious."

"Well, then, how do you explain why there's only like _thirty_ people in this entire town?" Bart asked.

"Beats me…"

The sun had finally gone down, and Bart decided that Karen had had enough time to cool down. But as they headed back, Tim thought he heard a faint groaning sound coming from the junkyard. He tugged on Bart's shirt and pointed towards the yard. The two teens silently climbed the fence and snuck over to the shed where they found the source of the moaning. A man in his late sixties was chained up to a wall and covered in cuts and bruises.

Suddenly, the man woke up with a start and screamed for help. But before Bart could help him, Tim forced him down and pointed to the entrance of the shed. They couldn't see his face, but his body was shrouded in green flames.

"Please… please, don't kill me!" the old man begged. "I-I'm just a teacher at the high school! I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Liar!" The man said. "You are a _defiler!_ You have stolen the innocence of your students! You threatened them into secrecy! For that, you shall _pay!_ " The man grabbed the teacher by the jaw and forced him to open his eyes. "You _will_ be judged… look into my eyes…"

The teacher screamed in agony as he gazed upon his attacker. Tim and Bart were horrified as they saw the elderly teacher be consumed by the green flames. When the attacker was finished, he unchained the old man's lifeless body and carried it out into the streets. And then, he disappeared.

"Okay…" Tim said at last. "Maybe that story wasn't _total_ bullshit."

"Well, here's _my_ idea!" Bart was panicking. "We get _back_ in the car. We go _back_ to New York. We _never_ look back. We _never_ speak about this again!"

"No!" Tim tackled Bart to the ground before he could run off. "We need to get to the bottom of this! That monster is killing people, and we don't know why!"

"You're right…" Bart sighed. "We have to help."

"Alright, let's go get Karen and hope that she'll believe us."

"Uh, yeah… okay. Just remember to _knock_ first."

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Jimmy Blaze(Johnny Blaze/Jim Corrigan)**

 **Demon Rider(Ghost Rider/the Spectre)**


	20. Only the Good Die Young part 2

**Chapter X: Only the Good Die Young! Part 2**

 **Back At the Motel**

"Okay, I'll get our costumes out of the car, you find Karen and we'll meet in the back."

"Right." Bart nodded. A few minutes ago, the two teen superheroes witnessed an elderly teacher die at the hands of another man shrouded in green flames. Wanting to investigate this strange ordeal further, Dare ordered a tactical retreat back to the motel and plan an attack. Bart rushed through the halls and was just about to open the door when he remembered what happened last time he barged in on the Radonian girl.

"Karen?" He asked cautiously as he knocked on the door. "Are you _decent?_ I'm coming in…" Bart slowly opened the door, but to his surprise, Karen wasn't there. "Oh, _great_." He muttered to himself, and set off once again. It took him five minutes to run through most of the building before he found a sign on the wall. Bart wasn't one to jump to conclusions, but knowing Karen, this sign was a very arguable clue. So, once again, the young speedster set off.

* * *

 **The Dining Hall; Karaoke Night**

"Yo, I'll _tell ya_ what I want, what I _really, really want!_ "

"So, _tell me_ what ya want, what ya _really, really want!_ "

"I _wanna!_ I _wanna!_ I _wanna!_ I _wanna!_ I wanna really, really, really, really, wanna wig-ah-wig _-ah!_ "

Bart had to sit through five minutes of singing before the manager finally asked Karen to get off the stage. When she saw Bart she crossed her arms, huffed, and power-walked away from him. He eventually caught up and tried to reason with her.

"Listen, I'm sorry about earlier, but we have to get outside!"

"Why, so you can get another peak?"

"Hey, _I'm_ not the one who has _x-ray vision!_ And if I _had_ x-ray vision I wouldn't need to accidentally barge in when you're-" Bart stopped himself once he saw the angered look on his friend's face. "I'm not making this any _better_ , am I?"

" _There_ you are!" Dare was running down the hall with two duffle bags in his hands. "Where the _hell_ have you been? Y'know what? Doesn't _matter!_ Just put your suits on and let's _nail_ this bastard!"

"What're you talking about?" Karen asked as Dare threw her costume at her.

"There's a _killer_ on the loose in this town, and we're gonna _stop_ him!" Bart slipped on his cable-shooters. " _That's_ what I was trying to tell you!"

When the other two heroes had gotten their uniforms on, Dare led them back to the first scene of the crime. As the Boy Wonder checked every inch for clues, Marvelgirl noticed a small flicker of the green flame Bart mentioned. Steadily moving her hand towards it, the flame grazed her finger.

"AH!" She cried. Speedster-Man and Dare flicked their heads towards their comrade as she desperately blew on her burnt finger. "It _burned_ me!"

Bart walked over to see what she was pointing at. "Its _fire_ … it's _supposed_ to do that."

"I _know_ that…" Karen growled. "But, I'm supposed to be _invulnerable_." The three teens looked incredulously at the small blaze before they heard another scream coming from outside the shed. They quickly made their way towards the source of the commotion when they saw a policeman chained upside-down over a wood-chipper. Standing on the ground, with the other end of the chain in his hand, was a man in a leather coat.

"Please! Please, don't _do_ this!" The man pleaded. "I don't deserve to die!"

"That's what they _all_ think…" the other man said before he let go of the chain. Marvelgirl gagged as streams of blood stained the gravel. Dare couldn't take it anymore, he leapt into the air and threw an explosive pellet at the killer's feet. The blast knocked him five feet into the air before Speedster-Man swung around and punched him to the ground. Marvelgirl and Dare prepared to attack, when they saw the man's hazel and green eyes.

"Jimmy Blaze?!" Dare was shocked. " _You've_ been killing these people?!"

"But why?" Marvelgirl was equally surprised.

"I don't have _time_ for stupid questions!" the former stuntman retorted. "I have one last thug I can interrogate. Hopefully he's scared enough to spill his guts before _I_ do it for him."

As Blaze walked away, Marvelgirl grabbed him in a tight full-nelson. She planned to simply fly him over to the police station and put a stop to his killing-spree. But when he grasped her wrists, green flames burned her arms and she immediately let go. Having bought himself some time, Blaze grabbed a string of chains and whipped it towards the three teens. But the young heroes were determined.

"We're not gonna let you murder innocent people anymore!" Speedster-Man yelled.

"Innocent?!" Blaze snorted. "You're defending a bunch of _sinners_ , boy! It isn't _murder_ , its _vengeance!_ "

Marvelgirl had heard enough, Blaze was clearly delusional. She blasted him with a concentrated plasma-bolt from her palm. But the chain had burst into flames when Blaze whipped it, detonating the blasts before they could make contact. Fortunately, this bought Speedster-Man enough time to get behind their enemy, tangle him up with his cable-shooters, and kick him to the ground.

"Vengeance for _what?_ " Speedster-Man asked, angrily. "You just killed a _policeman!_ "

"Yeah…" Blaze nodded. "But he had _blood_ on his hands. The blood of anyone who wasn't _white, straight,_ or _Christian!_ " More flames surrounded Blaze, snapping the cables and freeing him from his trap. The former stuntman whipped his chain towards Speedster-Man, striking the hero's wrists and destroying his cable-shooters.

Before Blaze could harm the young speedster any further, Dare struck him in the head with his bo-staff. "What's your excuse for killing a _teacher?!_ "

"A _pedophile!_ " Blaze grabbed boy's ankle and threw him into a pile of junk. "Preying on his students and threatening to kill them if they reported him!"

Marvelgirl delivered a flying kick that sent Blaze flying onto the hood of a car. This gave Speedster-Man and Dare enough time to get back on their feet and rush to her side. Marvelgirl grabbed their enemy by the scruff of his neck and lifted him into the air. "Even if we were willing to believe you, _you're_ not the one who gets to decide who _lives_ or _dies!_ "

"Now, that's the _first_ _thing_ any of you've said right…" Blaze grabbed the girl's wrist. Squeezing tightly until she finally let go, letting him land on his feet. "I'm _not_ the one who decides…" Suddenly, Blaze started to gag and strangle himself as the green flames spread to his face. The three teens were horrified as his skin began to burn away. At last, all that was left was Blaze's skull, engulfed in green flames that resembled a hooded cape.

*"Oh… my… God…" Speedster-Man shuddered. The iris of Blaze's green was the only detail that remained of the former daredevil. The eye flickered around the empty eye socket, gazing at the terrified teens. Time seemed to slow down as the flaming skeleton swayed its body on its heels. Left and right, left and right, left and right. Marvelgirl raised her fists again, ready to attack. But the monster tilted its head in her direction just as she lifted into the air. As if it were alive, the flaming chain slinked off from the Demon Rider's arm and it whipped at the Radonian, sending her flying back by fifty feet.

Dare reached for his utility belt, but the monster was much faster than he expected. It grabbed him by the his neck and slammed the Boy Wonder into the hard ground. An eerie moan crept out of its mouth and it threw the costumed teen next to Marvelgirl.

Speedster-Man stood agape at what he had just witnessed; his friends had just taken a serious beating from a flaming skeleton in a leather jacket. He looked to see if they were alright, then looked back to find that Blaze had disappeared. Bart was breathing heavily now as beads of sweat rolled down his face. At last, the Demon Rider appeared right in front of him. The green eye stared past his opaque goggles, piercing the young speedster's soul.

 **"** _ **Guilty…**_ **"** It said at last. Marvelgirl and Dare watched in horror as their friend feel to his knees, shrieking in pain and agony. In a desperate attempt to save her friend's life, Marvelgirl picked up a large I-beam, wrapped it around the skeleton's body and proceeded to bombard it with plasma-bolts. At last, the Demon Rider disappeared, leaving Jimmy Blaze in its place.

"Bart! Bart!" Dare rushed over to his friend and pulled off his mask. Bart was alive, but his pupils had shrunk, his skin was deathly pale, and his breathing was heavy and sporadic.

"All my fault…" he murmured. "Uncle Jay's dead… let robber get away… all my fault…"

"What the hell did you _do_ to him?!" Dare snarled at the former stuntman.

"The Demon Rider looked into his _soul_ …" Blaze explained calmly. "Searched for his sins and inflicted punishment upon him. That's what it _does_ ; punish _everyone_ for their sins, one way or _another_."

It took a long time, but Marvelgirl and Dare were able to calm their friend down. Bart put his mask and goggles back on, and proceeded with the others to interrogate Blaze.

"Now!" Marvelgirl said firmly. "We've got a few questions for you, _Mr. Blaze_."

"And by 'a few' she means 'six-thousand-and-one,' but we're gonna shorten it up." Speedster-Man added.

"How are you the Demon Rider?" Dare asked.

Blaze sighed; he was just as tired as the three heroes. And since he couldn't summon the Demon Rider again so soon, he wasn't in much of a position to argue. "When I reached the peak of my career, my dad got cancer. Doctors said there was nothing that could be done for him. I was so _scared_ … I didn't want to lose the only family I had left. Then I met a man who said that he could help me…"

* * *

 **1987\. Denver, Colorado. Haley's Circus.**

As the young Jimmy Blaze was working on his motorcycle, he couldn't stop thinking about his father's condition. It was getting worse each day; John Blaze would have to stop and take a pill every other hour, he coughed when he spoke too much, and there were moments where he couldn't even stand up. Jimmy was starting to lose faith. He had cursed God, wondering why He would be so cruel to him.

Just then, Jimmy felt a chill rush up his spine. The bon fire had dimmed down to the point where the only source of light was the full moon. Then he heard the voice.

"Hello, Jimmy…"

Jimmy turned around to see an older man dressed in a sharp outfit, holding a golden cane. "Who the hell are you?"

"A _friend_ …" The stranger circled around the motorcycle. His eyes never lost contact with Jimmy's as he continued to talk. His voice was smooth and charming, making it impossible not to listen to every word. "My name is Necrophisto. I represent an organization that handles folks like you. What if I told you that I can give you what you want most? I can make your father healthy again. See to it that he won't succumb to the darkness that plagues his body…"

Jimmy couldn't believe his ears. But while he was eager to save his father, growing up in the circus taught him to be cautious of opportunities that sound too good to be true. "What's the catch?" He asked carefully.

"Ah, you're _smart_ , Jimmy." The man chuckled. "You wanna know what it'll cost ya? Fair enough. All I want in return is something _very_ small. Something that you'll _never miss_ after it's gone. At least not once you've got your dad back, right?"

"Just tell me!" Jimmy grew impatient.

"I will make it so your father doesn't die of cancer, and all I ask for in return… is your _soul_."

"M-my…" Jimmy stuttered as he clenched his chest. "You… you're the-?"

"Not yet…" Necrophisto laughed. "But I'm putting a plan in motion that will soon make me the new _top dog_. But that's not really your concern… _is it?_ Let me help, Jimmy. The boys _up there_ sure haven't, have they?" He pulled a contract out from his pocket and handed it to Blaze. As much as he hated to admit it, Jimmy was desperate to save his dad.

"Where do I sign?" Necrophisto unsheathed a knife and sliced Jimmy's hand. The young man dropped the contract on the ground and gripped his wound tightly as blood dripped all over the contract.

"You just _did_ …" Necrophisto smiled.

* * *

 **Present Day.**

"You mean… you seriously… you _actually_ …" Speedster-Man tried to speak, but Blaze's story left him and his friends at a complete loss for words.

"Yeah…" Blaze nodded. "I made a _deal_ with the _devil_. Surprise, surprise; he _lied_. My dad died in a car crash later that week. Then he came to _collect_. He bonded by soul with Zarathous, a Fallen Angel gone mad. So now, when I'm in the presence of sinners, I transform into the Spirit of Vengeance, and I send their souls to Hell."

"YOU SENT MY SOUL TO HELL?!" Speedster-Man jumped. "Oh, God! I'm gonna burn for all eternity for letting Uncle Jay die!"

"Oh, would you _calm down?!_ " Blaze rolled his eyes. "What I did to you is _much more_ merciful; the _penance stare_. While the Demon Rider doesn't discriminate between sinners, he only condems _moral sinners_ to Hell. _Venial sinners_ get the penance stare. Basically it gathers the essence of your guilt for that sin, and turns it into physical pain for a brief moment. In other words; an _eye_ for an _eye_." Blaze smiled and winked his green eye at the teens. That made them shiver.

"Where is that other guy you were talking about?" Dare regained his composure.

"He's in the tool shed." Blaze nodded his head in the proper direction, and Gargoyle's protégée made his way over to the hostage. Meanwhile, Marvelgirl noticed Speedster-Man was still shaken up from the penance stare. She hovered over to him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Bart, are you gonna be okay?" She asked.

"I don't know…" Bart sighed as he rubbed his arms. "Just… seeing Uncle Jay being killed like that again…"

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm sorry I overreacted about earlier."

"Thanks, and I'm sorry I barged in without knocking." Bart smiled under his mask as Karen nodded in forgiveness.

"Guys!" Dare came running up. "You're never gonna believe this, Blaze was telling the truth! These guys have been part of some kind of human-trafficking job for H.I.D.R.A.!"

"Hydra?" Karen was confused.

"High Intelligence Desiring Revolution and Abominations! An underground terrorist group that rose from the ashes of the Nazi party. That _douche bag_ just pointed me in the direction of one of their temporary headquarters. If we leave now, we can get the drop on them and help anyone they may have hurt!"

"You sayin' we're about to do some kinda brave and bold team-up?" Blaze smiled hopefully.

"Aheh, _no_. _We_ are going to do a team-up…" Dare motioned to himself and his friends. " _You_ are going to sit tight where you are and wait for us to call S.H.I.E.L.D. and have you locked up for the rest of your life."

"Wait, he _did_ tell us about these guys…" Marvelgirl interjected. "Don't you think we could use some help?"

"Marvelgirl, come on!" Speedster-Man slinked his arm over her shoulders. "If we take these jerks down ourselves, we can finally step out of the shadows and be recognized for our own potential!"

Marvelgirl liked the sound of that. Picking up both of her allies, she let Dare point the way while Blaze just yelled at them to let him go free. Little did any of them notice that a mysterious figure had been spying on them from afar.

* * *

 **Twenty Miles from Town. An Abandoned Quarry. H.I.D.R.A.'s Temporary Headquarters.**

"Is that so…? Thank you for the warning, I shall alert them immediately." Dr. Miles Hamilton put down his cell phone and made his way to the operation's mastermind. Infiltrating S.T.A.R. Labs had been easy for the elderly scientist, but it was becoming harder to hide his secrets from the super-heroes. Luckily, his troubles would soon be over.

When he approached a large room filled with computers, the screens flashed to life and revealed a digitalized face of another old man. "What is it, Dr. Miles?" The thick German voice cackled with static.

"Herr DeVoe… three young super-beings are heading this way. One is a speedster and another is Radonian."

"Fear not, mien friend… Dr. Grodd has taken more than enough precautions for this type of emergency… in the meantime, you shall stay here, and keep safe. Your skills are needed for a special project that Herr Von Havoc has hired us for…"

"Intriguing…" Hamilton smiled. "Most intriguing…"

 **To Be Continued!**

* * *

 **What's this?! Are the three young heroes walking straight into a trap, or can they prevail?! And what kind of assignment does Maxwell Von Havoc have for Dr. Hamilton?! Find out next week(hopefully) for the thrilling conclusion to Only The Good Die Young!**

 **Necrophisto(Mephisto/Neron)**

 **H.I.D.R.A.(Hydra/C.A.D.M.U.S.)**

 **Dr. Miles Hamilton(Miles Warren/Emil Hamilton)**

 **Arnim DeVoe(Arnim Zola/The Mad Thinker)**

 **Dr. Otto Grodd(Doctor Octopus/Gorilla Grodd)**

*This would be a good time to start playing the background music from _Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance_


	21. Only the Good Die Young part 3

*Again, great time to play _Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance_. Especially the part with the giant crane thing.

 **Chapter X: Only the Good Die Young! Part 3**

 **1987\. Denver, Colorado.**

Jimmy Blaze drove his motorcycle away from the circus as fast as he could, tears stinging his eyes. His father's funeral had just ended two hours ago, and he couldn't get away fast enough. Just then, a familiar cold feeling crawled over his skin. His motorcycle stopped abruptly, sending him flying onto the pavement. He looked up to find Necrophisto right in front of him.

"You _bastard!_ " Jimmy got up to strike the Archdemon, but the smartly dressed liar caught his fist. "We had a _deal!_ "

"The deal _was_ that your father wouldn't die of _cancer_ …" Necrophisto smiled as he used his supernatural powers to freeze Jimmy in his place. "Which he _didn't_. It was the actions of a _drunken driver_ that caused John Blaze to perish. Now… it's time for you to _honor_ our agreement."

Necrophisto extended his index finger, pointing it towards Jimmy's left eye. The fingernail shifted into a demonic claw, and dug into Jimmy's iris. Blaze screamed in agony as the claw circled around his eye. After Necrophisto removed his claw, a green flame spread from the young stuntman's eye and covered his entire body.

"You're _mine_ now, James Blaze…" Necrophisto cackled as his voice shifted from its calm and charming tone, to a more frightening decibel. "You shall serve as an agent of vengeance! Punishing those who have sinned on this Earth! You shall deliver their souls to me, and they will give me _strength!_ Whenever in the presence of sinners you shall become… _the Demon Rider!_ "

* * *

 **Present Day. Vermont.**

Blaze struggled against the tight restraints that kept him in place in the junkyard. Not long ago, three young super-beings had interfered with his investigation, and then left him to be taken into custody. While he knew that the young heroes meant well, he was disappointed for having lost his chance to use the Demon Rider for some good.

Suddenly, he could feel his other half struggling to be released. He closed his eyes and saw that the three teens were in danger; strapped to tables and afraid for their lives. The Demon Rider rallied again, trying to force its way out of Jimmy. Blaze decided to use this to his advantage; although he couldn't fully control the Demon Rider, he could point him in the right direction. Summoning enough of the green hellfire, Blaze was finally free of his restraints, but he was also closer to changing. He spotted the last agent of H.I.D.R.A. that he'd managed to capture, and quickly made his way over to him.

"Alright, asshole!" Jimmy picked him up and slammed him against the shed's wall. "Where are those kids going?!"

"Let me go!" the agent squirmed. "I have to get out of here! If my boss finds out that I squealed, I'm a dead man!"

Jimmy laughed hysterically at that comment as he felt the spirit inside him clawing its way out. "Smarten up, dipshit! You're _already_ a dead man! Y'see, you're a _baaaaaaad_ man! And that _thing_ that just killed your friends? He _hate_ _s_ bad men! And guess _what?_ That thing is _inside me_ , man! Inside my _soul!_ And… and he's… _scraping… at… the door… scraping at the door!_ " Jimmy jerked his head back and screamed in pain, frightening his captive. "Now, you're already _dead_ , but how _fast_ you die is _entirely up to you!_ Where are those kids going?!"

"Th-th-the quarry!" he stuttered. "The abandoned quarry just a few miles from here!"

Blaze's green eye flickered as it bore into the man's soul. Just as the green flames started to surround him once more, Blaze used them to incinerate the agent. Still trying to contain the Fallen Angel, Blaze staggered over to his motorcycle. Once he gripped the handle bars, the hellfire spread over it, enhancing it with the hellish power. Blaze released the kickstand and set off at a remarkable speed, all the while the Rider was getting closer to the surface.

* * *

 **Twenty Minutes Ago…**

Dare, Marvelgirl, and Speedster-Man had just arrived at the makeshift headquarters for H.I.D.R.A. While Marvelgirl and Speedster-Man were keeping an eye on the militia soldiers, Dare was more interested in what the scientists were up to.

"Okay, here's the plan..." Dare whispered. "You guys create a diversion while I sneak down and try to download their files from the main computer. It could be very helpful to S.H.I.E.L.D."

The Boy Wonder quietly sneaked into one of the laboratories and pulled a USB drive out of his utility belt. He was just about to let his fingers trace the keyboard, when the computers turned off. The screens flickered back on, revealing the face of an elderly man.

"My, my…" The voice cackled with static. "It would appear we have an intruder, Dr. Hamilton." Before Tim could do anything, he felt a sharp prick in the side of his neck. The room began to spin and he fell on his back.

Meanwhile, Marvelgirl and Speedster-Man were completely unaware that their ally had been captured, so they went ahead with the plan. Speedster-Man was rushing in and out of caverns, driving everyone out into the open. That made it easy for Marvelgirl to blast them with her plasma-bolts. But what the heroes didn't notice was the militia agent holding a strange rifle. He was dressed in black body armor with a blue skull on his mask and a blue gem in his chest.

Speedster-Man's accelerated vision activated, directing him towards Marvelgirl. She was hit by a blast of red energy, and began to fall to the ground. Although his cable shooters had been damaged, Bart instinctively flicked his wrist to try and catch her. To his surprise, a thin stream of solid light shot from his wrist, latched onto Marvelgirl, and he pulled her over to him.

"Speed force…" Bart breathed in amazement. "You are so _crash!_ " He was so excited that he didn't realize his accelerated vision had activated again. But it was too late; the armored agent pulled a hand-held gun out from its holster and fired a blast of blue beat at Speedster-Man, knocking him unconscious. The other agents, along with a man dressed in an officer's outfit and a monocle had arrived to carry the heroes to the lab.

"Well done, Cobalt. You have served our cause well tonight."

"Thank you Baron Degaton." The agent nodded as he aimed his weapons at the heroes. "Shall I finish them off?"

"Not so fast, DeVoe will dispose of them once he is finished. In the meantime, you and I are needed elsewhere." As Cobalt went to prepare the escape vehicle, Baron Degaton turned to the other agents. "This is a good day, my brothers. Once our deal with Mr. Von Havoc is complete, we shall finally have enough funds to begin phase two of our plan! Hail H.I.D.R.A.!"

"HAIL H.I.D.R.A.!"

Speedster-Man woke up just in time to see Dr. Hamilton extracting a pint of his blood. He looked around to see Dare tied to another table, and Marvelgirl strapped down under a red lamp.

"Don't expect your Radonian friend to help you…" Hamilton smiled. "That lamp is bombarding her with concentrated red sun radiation." Hamilton couldn't help but take pleasure in the girl's suffering. In 1979, the Radonian warlord, Mar-Zod invaded Metropia and destroyed three-quarters of the city. Among those who had been killed in the invasion was Hamilton's family. Since then, he swore to use his intellect to rid the world of aliens and super-beings.

"I've collected the blood samples from the speedster and the Radonian, Prof. DeVoe." He turned his attention to the screen.

"Excellent. You and Dr. Grodd shall meet at the rendezvous point. Shut down the quarry facilities. Destroy all evidence of our presence."

"And what of the children?"

"I said _all_ evidence, Miles…" The screen flickered and shut off, leaving Hamilton smiling, sinisterly to himself. He opened one of the drawers at his desk and unveiled a custom-built radonite gun, and placed the barrel against Marvelgirl's forehead.

But before he could pull the trigger, the entire quarry shook. Hamilton and Grodd rushed out to see what the commotion was all about. The gunmen all looked to the edge of the quarry to see a dust storm with a green glow in the center heading straight for them. The two scientists forgot about the three heroes and rushed to the escape ship while the mercenaries prepared their weapons.

Once the dust cloud gotten close enough, one soldier fire a missile at it; creating a powerful explosion. The men cheered at their apparent success until they saw something stepping out of the smoke. It was a skeleton dressed in a leather jacket, covered in green flames, and holding a length of chain in its hands.

 _ **"** **Hungry…"**_ The Demon Rider looked at its victims and charged as they opened fire on it. Lashing out with its chains, it reduced the soldiers to ashes with each blow. One of the soldiers managed to throw a grenade at its feet, but it was no use; the Demon Rider was completely unfazed by the attack. It stepped out of the smoke and made its way to the soldier who threw it. He was so frightened, he lifted his semi-automatic pistol and fired everything he had into the skeleton's mouth. But the Demon Rider simply coughed up smoke and vomited molten slag onto the soldier.

However, another mercenary took the opportunity to re-load his bazooka, and fired at the monster again. This time, the Demon Rider was knocked off the ground by the force of the projectile and cried out in pain when it detonated.

"Oh, I'm _sorry_ , did that hurt?!" The agent laughed as Demon Rider climbed out of the crater. "It _looked_ like it did!" But Demon Rider saw something that would easily tip the scales in its favor. Getting back on its feet, it made its way to an abandoned miming excavator.

*Once inside the cab, The Spirit of Vengeance let out a powerful screech, and its flames spread throughout the entire frame of the excavator. The soldiers frightfully opened fire on the flaming piece of equipment as it moved towards them at impossible speeds. Demon Rider cackled as it crushed everyone in his way.

Meanwhile, the commotion had caused the red sun lamp to malfunction. This gave Marvelgirl time to break free and help her friends. They rushed outside to see H.I.D.R.A. agents screaming in terror as the excavator was making short work of their facilities. One agent had spotted the three teens, and was about to fire on Dare when something wrapped around his leg. The next thing he knew, he was staring into the fiery face of the Demon Rider.

 _ **"** **Sorry… does that**_ **hurt?** _ **It looks like it**_ **does…** _ **"**_ Demon Rider's green iris flickered as it pierced the agent's soul. _**"Look into my eye… you**_ **will** _ **be judged…"**_ The man screamed in horror as the green flame surrounded his body and reduced it to ashes.

The Demon Rider gave one last roar in victory and then transformed back into Jimmy Blaze. The three heroes ran over to check on him. Once he assured them that he was alright, he gave a solemn frown. "So, are you still going to arrest me?"

The teens looked at each other before Dare spoke up. "Well… we _are_ supposed to be on vacation. I guess it wouldn't hurt to give you a _week's_ head start."

"Thanks…" Jimmy smiled and walked back to his motorcycle. "Before I leave, take this from the voice of experience; don't ever take your loved ones for _granted_. You never know when you're gonna _lose_ 'em." With that, Jimmy drove off, leaving the heroes alone in the quarry.

"Uh, before we head back to the motel, is it crash if I make a phone call?" Bart asked.

"That's fine, I need to make one, too." Karen said.

"So do I…" Tim added.

The three teens separated themselves and took out their cell phones.

"Hi, Aunt Joan…"

"Hi, Kal…"

"Hi, mom… yeah, everything's fine, I just… I wanted to let you know that… I love you."

* * *

 **The Next Day.**

Jimmy had gathered up the last of his belongings and fastened his motorcycle to the back of his truck. He was going to miss this quiet little town, but he still wanted to try and use the Demon Rider for good. The only problem was; he didn't know how.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a piece of paper stuck under his truck's windshield-wiper. He plucked it off and saw that it was a tarot card used by fortune tellers. It was the card of _the Hermit._

"If you truly want help, seek out Madam Wise at St. Augustine's Lighthouse"

"…Why not?" Jimmy said to himself as he started his truck and drove off towards Florida.

 **To Be Continued!**

* * *

 **The Demon Rider will return. But until then, stay tuned for next week(hopefully) when the Flag must put together a team to stop H.I.D.R.A.'s evil plot! But it won't be easy taking on Baron Zero, the Royal Flush Society of Serpents, and this new mysterious Winter Speedster!**

 **Cobalt(Crossbones/Cobalt Blue)**

 **Baron Wolfram Degaton(Baron Strucker/Per Degaton)**


	22. The HIDRA Plot part 1

**Chapter XI: The H.I.D.R.A. Plot! Part 1**

 **Central Park, New York City.**

It was a lovely morning at the park. The sun had just begun to peak out from the horizon, illuminating the rooftops of New York as its residents were just waking up. In less than an hour, the streets would be bustling with people heading off to work. But for the moment, there were three individuals who had started early. Sam Irons and Sharon West jogged around the park, both trying their best to outrun each other. But despite their best efforts, neither of them could keep up with the group's third jogger who was just catching back up to them.

"On your left." Steve Allen said as he jogged pass them with ease. Sam grunted in disbelief as the blond man rushed by so easily. Sharon could only smile to herself. When the two soldiers reached the other end of the park, they heard their friend catching up to them again. "On your left." As they were just ten yards away from their stopping point, Sam muttered as he heard the same footsteps getting closer.

"Don't say it." He said out loud. "Don't you _dare_ say it."

"On your left."

While Sam groaned in frustration, Sharon chuckled. She loved being one of the only people to know Steve's secret identity. It had been eight months since she first met the Flag, and almost seven months since they had started dating. Since then, she had helped him catch up to the modern world. At first it was a bit awkward being with a man who was technically much older than her, but in time she had come to truly appreciate the man behind the mask. Their relationship was getting very serious, but how serious could only be told by time and patience.

Sam dropped down under a shady tree, trying desperately to catch his breath. Once Steve finished his cool-off stretches, he went over to see if his friends were alright. "Sharon…" Sam gasped. "Your man just… jogged around one-point-three square miles… _five times_ in _fifteen minutes_ … without breaking a _sweat_."

"Really?" Steve sounded disappointed. "I _must_ be getting old. Usually I can jog that in just _fourteen_."

"Oh, _yeah_ …" Sam gasped sarcastically. "You should be _ashamed_ of yourself. Why don't you do another lap. Oh, I'm sorry, I blinked. Did you just do it?"

Steve and Sharon shared a laugh as they helped the weary ex-soldier off the ground. Sam had proven himself to be a true friend. He would often hang out with Steve whenever he didn't share the same day off as Sharon, and this helped Steve to learn even more about the modern world. Mostly they discussed their time in the service. Steve would have to change a few details to prevent Sam from learning his true identity, but what he said was mostly true. Sam's stories were actually a bit darker.

He had lost a close friend in Iraq when they were assigned to test out two prototype flight suits that Tony Jordan had made just before becoming Emerald Man. The suits worked perfectly, but Sam's friend was spotted by the enemy and shot down right in front of him. This loss inspired Sam to retire from the Air Force, and live a peaceful life away from violence. Now he spent most of his days working his diner, volunteering at the V.A., or engaging in his own projects.

The friendly activity came to an abrupt end when a beeping noise came from Steve and Sharon's pockets. Realizing that they were needed at S.H.I.E.L.D., they said their goodbyes to Sam and walked away. When he was sure that no one was looking, Steve picked Sharon up bridal-style, whisked them away to headquarters, and dressed them both up in their outfits.

"I _love it_ when you do that.." Sharon smiled as she tugged on her gloves. Then she turned to the Flag with a flirtatious grin. "You didn't _peak,_ did you?"

" _Sharon…_ " Steve blushed and crossed his arms. "I'll have you know that I practice _chastity_." Sharon rolled her eyes and the two went off to hear about the mission.

* * *

 **One Hour Later.**

Sharon had been assigned to a different task force while Flag was given command of a small team to stop a hostage situation. Flag was disappointed that he wouldn't be working with Sharon, but he remembered that they both agreed nothing would keep them from safeguarding the Earth. Agent Romanoff had jokingly promised to fill in for Sharon after the take off. On the way to their destination, Agent Malcolm Rumlow went over the details.

"Alright, H.I.D.R.A.'s human trafficking operation had somehow hit a snag last month. In their desperation to salvage what they could, they hijacked a freighter, took the crew as hostages, and are now halfway across the Atlantic. Our job is to neutralize the terrorists, save the hostages, and free whoever has been unlucky enough to get caught by these bastards."

The agents prepared their weapons and parachutes as they approached the drop-off point. Romanoff slyly made her way towards the Flag. "So, how are things between you and Agent West?"

"Pretty good, all things considered." Flag shrugged. "The hardest part is deciding whether to have dinner at her place or mine."

"Y'know, she'd probably _move in_ with you if you asked her." Selina cocked a suggestive eyebrow.

"That's why I don't ask." Flag chuckled as the door opened.

"Too nervous, or too _scared?_ " Selina yelled over the wind rushing into the cab.

"Too _soon_." Flag corrected before jumping out of the plane.

"Was he wearing a parachute?" Agent Quartermane asked no one in particular.

" _No_." Agent Rumlow laughed.

When Flag reached the proper altitude, he kept his legs straight and pointed his arms towards the water. Spinning his arms at a fantastic rate, he created powerful duel-cyclones that slowed down his descent. He landed softly onto the ship's deck, and quickly went to work incapacitating the guards. Then he gave the all-clear signal for the other agents to begin phase two of the operation.

The agents split into two groups; one group went to find the hostages, while the second group went to find the kidnapped civilians. But out of the corner of his eye, Flag saw Romanoff dart off on her own. Making sure to stay out of sight, the super-soldier followed the Black Cat into a computer room where she was downloading files onto a hard drive. Flag sat down at one of the screens and studied it carefully. What he saw came as a great shock; H.I.D.R.A. was keeping tabs on potential muta-humans, super-powered humans, and even people who claimed to be capable of magic. He opened a file that contained video footage.

The first video showed a young man around Bart's age with white hair in a convenient store. He was just getting milk when he saw the cashier being threatened by a man with a gun. The boy looked to see if anyone was looking, then in a blur of motion, he knocked over the man and made it back to where he was. For a moment, Flag wondered if he was connected to the speed force.

The next video showed a man dressed in a black suit with a red dragon on his chest. He was using a katana to cut through several armed men in the streets of Tokyo. When he singled out the last man, he unsheathed a different katana that glowed with yellow energy. He held the blade to the quivering villain's throat.

("Mr. Yamashiro! Daniel-San! Please, show mercy!")

(" _Mercy?!_ ") The young man pulled off his white mask to reveal his angered face. ("Where was mercy when my grandfather was murdered?!")

("I didn't kill your grandfather!")

("But you _watched_ … criminals deserve no mercy!")

Flag nearly gagged when the video ended. The next video showed a laboratory at S.T.A.R. Labs. An elderly man was keeping a video-log of his project. Flag gasped when he saw that the project was a young African woman who had lost her entire right arm, parts of both legs, half of her face, and much of her skin. Judging from how the scientist reacted to all of his failed attempts to help, Flag deduced that he was somehow related to the woman. Just then, one of the scientist's other projects; a metal cube that glowed with blue energy, came to life and made its way towards the woman. Miraculously, the cube was transforming into cybernetic replacement parts for all of the parts the woman had lost.

The screen suddenly went dark and Selina pulled Steve onto the ground with her. The guards had been alerted to the agents' activity and were on their way to intercept them. Selina said it was too hard to explain, but he would have to wait and question the videos later. Unfortunately, Flag was not in a patient mood. He got up, zipped through the corridors, took out the H.I.D.R.A. agents, freed the hostages, and released the captured civilians.

"Man…" Rumlow was very impressed. "Whadda'ya need _us_ for, Captain?"

The other agents laughed, but Flag wanted to get back to New York.

* * *

 **Later at S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ.**

Steve marched to Director Fury's office, determined to get to the bottom of this. When he found her, she was casually sitting at her desk, reading something on her computer. He came in without knocking and got straight to the point.

"You _lied_ to me." He huffed. "This was supposed to be a _search and rescue_ mission. But all you were after was what H.I.D.R.A. had in their possession."

"I didn't lie." Fury didn't even look up from her computer. "I just gave Agent Romanoff a _different_ mission. You saved the people, she collected our Intel. Win-win."

"Why wasn't I notified? If I hadn't acted fast enough because of this distraction, innocent people could've been hurt."

"… Walk with me. I'm gonna show you what Romanoff got for us." She led the Captain into a private elevator. Once inside, Jordan's A.I. scanned both of them.

 _Access denied. Captain Allen, Steve does not have level 10 access._

"Override. Director Fury, Amanda. Pass code: Zeke 25 17."

 _Override accepted._

The elevator closed and began its descent. Fury looked at the soldier and smiled. "Did I ever tell you I had three kids before I took this job?"

"I wouldn't have guessed." Flag said bluntly.

"Yeah, well… they were real sweet. I lost my oldest to a mugger when he was only sixteen. Died right next to his daddy. My second… well, she lost her innocence before they took her life. My youngest, God bless his soul, is probably the friendliest man you'll ever meet. He works as a bus driver down in Louisiana. Every day he says 'hi,' and his passengers _usually_ say 'hi,' back. I visit him every now and then to make sure he's okay. The first time I visited him, instead of 'hi,' he got 'shut up and drive, negro.'"

"Is he doing alright." Flag lightened up a little.

"He's fine. My baby knows how to take care of himself. In fact, just a few months ago some mouthy punk with a shiv asked him what he had in his lunch bag."

"What'd he do?"

"He _showed_ him. A grilled cheese sandwich, a thermos full of soup, and .45 magnum." Fury paused for a moment before she laughed to herself. "Yeah, my baby _loves_ people… but he knows better than to trust 'em."

When they reached the appropriate floor, Flag found himself inside a giant aerial hanger. Above him were three aircraft carriers that appeared to have four giant turbines. The massive ships were covered with large cannons and machine guns. They were still incomplete, but at the rate the workers were going at, they wouldn't be for very long.

"What you see before you are the first in a new age of world order." Fury smiled. "Agent Romanoff collected the data we needed to complete the systems' programming. These helicarriers use a special program that lets them calculate and detect a potential threat, and then neutralize it."

"I thought punishment came _after_ the crime." Steve crossed his arms in disapproval. "Have we really come to this, Amanda? When I offered to join the military it was because I wanted to protect the world. But this isn't _protection_ … this is _fear_."

Amanda frowned. "I'd thought you had figured this out by now, but this is _not 1945_. Apples don't cost a nickel, you can't leave your doors unlocked, you can't drive too slowly through a strange neighborhood, and nobody listens to ragtime. This is how the world _works_ , Steve. I tried to believe otherwise and I lost most of my family and one of my eyes. So why don't you do what speedsters do… and _catch up_."

Steve said nothing, he just nodded and walked away. Later, Director Fury went back to her office and tried to go over a few more details before she met up with the world council. "Voice command; display blueprint read-outs of Project: Helicarrier."

 _Access denied._

Fury was surprised. "Override. Director Fury, Amanda. Pass code: Zeke 25 17."

 _Access denied. Override codes have been deemed unsafe and deleted._

"Under whose authority?"

 _Director Fury, Amanda._

Fury got up and went to speak with Alexander G. Godfrey, the Security Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and her war-time friend. She found him in his office talking to his sister over the phone. Once he saw the expression on her face, he realized it was important. He told her goodbye, hung up the phone, and gave Amanda a quick hug.

"Amanda, you look as stunning as ever." He laughed.

"Thanks, but I didn't come here for the flattery." Amanda made it clear this was serious. "I'm locked out of the system's database and according to Jordan's toy, _I_ did it. Alex, I think something's going on."

"Amanda, I've already got six things on my plate. Are you sure this isn't just a bug?"

"Alex, several of H.I.D.R.A.'s chief scientists escaped from the Raft during the breakout. If it's possible any of them have managed to hack into the system, we have to treat it as an absolute _certainty_."

The security director sighed. "Alright, I'll see what I can do. On _one condition_ … Thunder Woman has to show up at my niece's birthday next month."

"Deal." Fury smiled and shook her friend's hand. "I'm on my way to meet up with the world council."

"Hey, and I don't mean a _flyby_ , she's gotta _mingle_."

Amanda chuckled as she headed to her car. She made it out onto the highway and was just about to get off at the next exit, when another car pushed her ahead. She was startled to see that three dark vans were following right behind her. It didn't take a genius to know that these creeps were from H.I.D.R.A., but she didn't know how they found her. She maneuvered around the road, trying to get away from her pursuers, but they managed to stay on her trail.

Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, a man dressed in black leather stepped out in front of her. He aimed a rocket launcher at her car, fired, and stepped out of the way as it somersaulted past him. As Amanda tried to get herself out of the vehicle, she saw that the man 's left leg was made entirely out of metal. She shook her head and focused on making her escape. When the man finally reached the car door, he stomped his foot on the ground, transforming his metal leg into a giant razor blade. With three quick kicks, he sliced the door off of the car, but Fury wasn't there. After he looked all around, he turned his metal leg back to normal and used it to shove the car away. All he could see was a deep hole leading into the sewer.

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Sam Irons(Sam Wilson/John Henry Irons)**

 **Malcolm Rumlow(Brock Rumlow/Malcolm Thawne)**

 **Johnny Maximoff(Pietro Maximoff/Johnny Chambers)**

 **Daniel Yamashiro(Daniel Rand/Tatsu Yamashiro)**

 **Mercedes "Misty" Stone(Misty Knight/Victor Stone)**

 **Alexander G. Godfrey(Alexander Pierce/G. Gordon Godfrey)**


	23. The HIDRA Plot part 2

**Chapter XI: The H.I.D.R.A. Plot! Part 2**

At the end of the day, Steve had met up with Sharon and told her about his run-in with Director Fury. She could see that he was upset about the way today's government needed to take precautions and thought about how she could make him feel better. Then she remembered something she had seen in the paper. She drove him to the city's World War II museum and led him inside.

"Now, keep your eyes closed!" she was very excited as she guided him through the crowd. Steve did as he was told and kept one hand over his eyes while Sharon tightly held onto the other. At last, they reached their destination. "Okay, you can open them."

What Steve saw before him took him completely by surprise. The display case contained only a small mannequin wearing Kid-Flag's uniform. The plaque at the mannequin's feet read: "In honor of the Flag's brave young ward, Wallace Rudolph Barnes AKA Kid-Flag." Steve said nothing at first, and then he turned to Sharon with a warm smile.

"Thank you, for bringing me here, Sharon." He said at last and hugged her tightly.

"I… I just thought that you might want to know that your friend wasn't forgotten." Sharon replied. They did a quick tour of the rest of the museum, and then decided to head home. They had missed the super bowl due to their work schedules, but fortunately, Bart had taught Steve about DVR. When they were halfway home, Sharon turned to the soldier.

"What was he like?" Steve looked at her in confusion. "I've read all the history books that talk about you and Kid-Flag and all your _amazing adventures_ , but I figure you might be a better reference…"

"Well…" Steve rubbed the back of his neck. "He was… a _good soldier_." Knowing that Sharon would want more details, Steve told her about his last meaningful encounter with Wally.

* * *

 _Wally leaned on the rails as he looked at the waves crash against the Warf. He was leading a very exciting life for someone his age; not only was he an underage soldier, but he was connected to an inter-dimensional force that allowed him to run at super-sonic speeds. Yet despite his incredible power, he was often afraid. One slip-up and he'd be struck by a bullet or crash into a wall. Not to mention that he had seen many of his friends killed during the war. But what he was really afraid of was when Steve would ultimately abandon him after the war._

" _How's it going, Kid-Flag?" Wally was brought out of his daze by the voice of his mentor._

" _Will you_ please _stop calling me that?" he grunted in annoyance._

" _I thought you_ liked _being called 'Kid-Flag'?" Steve sounded hurt._

" _I_ did _. When I was_ fourteen _." Wally turned around to rest his back against the rail. "But for God's sake, Steve, I'm one year away from becoming an adult."_

" _Wally? Is something wrong?" Steve leaned right next to him, this behavior was very strange for Wally. "You can tell me anything, you know."_

 _The young soldier sighed heavily and told his best friend all of his worries. He was worried about the war, about life after all the fighting, and finally, about what he would do when Steve was done with him. The last grievance caught Steve off guard, and motivated him to pull Wally into a strong bear hug._

" _Wally, you'll never have to worry about that." He assured his friend. "If you need help with anything after the war's over, I'll be there for you. I always take care of my family."_

" _But, Steve…" Wally was surprised by that word. "We're not_ really- _"_

" _Hey, none of that." Steve said sternly. "I don't care if we're not blood, you are my son. And I'm always here for you, 'til the end of the finish line."_

* * *

"That…" Sharon was tearing up as her partner finished his story. "That's one of the sweetest… the most _beautiful_ things I've ever heard."

"I meant _every word_." Steve was starting to choke up as well once they reached the entrance to the building. "Even with my mom dead and my dad in prison… I still had _Wally_." Suddenly, Steve extended his arm, stopping Sharon in her tracks. He brushed her hair aside and whispered in her ear. "Go into your apartment and get your gun. I'll wait for you."

"Why?" She questioned.

"Because when I left _my_ apartment this morning, I turned the lights off." Sharon nodded and did as she was told. Once she came back, Steve removed his shield from his back and they walked over to the door. Steve gripped the doorknob and checked to see if Sharon was ready. Once she nodded in approval, they made their way in. They moved into the living room when they saw Director Fury sitting down on the couch. The soldiers relaxed and sighed in relief.

"Director Fury. What brings you here?" Sharon holstered her gun.

"My boyfriend kicked me out." Fury said calmly. But then she held up her phone that displayed a radically different message. _Attacked on the freeway._

"What?! How could this-?!" Steve was hysterical, but Fury interrupted him quickly.

"It's _not_ a big deal, Captain… shit happens." She held up her phone again. _We're being watched._

"This doesn't make any sense." Steve was very confused. Sharon tried to act inconspicuous as she inspected the apartment. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, I was _hoping_ I could stay here for a while. If that's okay with your girlfriend?" Again she typed on her phone. _They knew exactly where I was going to be. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been infiltrated._

Suddenly, a bullet pierced through the window and made its way into Fury's sternum. Steve grabbed Sharon and pulled her down with Fury. He held up his shield to deflect the other bullets that came through the window. Fury clutched the scruff of Steve's shirt and looked him directly in the eyes. "Don't… trust… _anyone_ …"

"Sharon, hold her down!" Steve lifted his right hand over Fury's chest as Sharon did as instructed. While he was still keeping the bullets from harming them, he vibrated his right hand at a fantastic speed and moved it into her chest. Fury struggled and kicked as Steve's hand gently searched for the bullet. "I have it." He pulled the slug out and carefully gave his shield to Sharon. "Hold this and keep pressure on the wound. When you stop hearing bullets, find something to properly patch her up and get her to a hospital."

"Where are _you_ going?" Sharon reluctantly gripped the shield.

"I'm going to take care of our sniper." Steve rushed out the door and made his way to the rooftops. He snatched the rifle out of his enemy's hands and disassembled it in a matter of seconds. Then he saw the metal leg.

"You…" He breathed before blocking a fierce right hook. "You're the man who appeared at my apartment when I first moved in!"* The man's blows were so fast it was getting difficult for Steve to keep up. Whoever this assassin was, he was definitely connected to the speed force. Steve couldn't help but feel frustrated as he continued to defend himself; it was bad enough to be dealing with his boss lying to him, and H.I.D.R.A. had apparently infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., but now he was dealing with mystery speedsters. "Who _are_ you?!"

"I am the Winter Speedster, agent of H.I.D.R.A." the man's voice was slightly muffled under his mask. Steve had had enough; he was going to get to the bottom of this. At the speed of light, he calculated every move he would need to make in order to rip his mask off. When the Winter Speedster kicked with his metal leg, Steve threw up his right arm to block it. Then, he used his left arm to push his foe to the ground and pin him with his knee. At last, he ripped the mask off and saw his face. Steve was frozen with shock. The man's face was a few years older than the last time he saw it, but the features remained the same. The only difference was that his infectious smile had been replaced with a determined scowl.

"Oh, my God… Wally?"

The Winter Speedster quickly rammed his head against Steve's, giving him the opportunity to get back on his feet. He delivered seven quick jabs to Steve's chest before he kicked him to the ground. The Speedster stomped his foot, transforming his metal leg into a long blade and held it against the Flag's neck. "Who the hell is Wally?"

Before he could slice the blade into Steve's throat, a bullet struck the assassin's shoulder. Both speedsters looked to see the blond S.H.I.E.L.D. agent running towards them, keeping her gun pointed at the enemy. "Sharon, no!" Steve called out to her before the Winter Speedster rushed away. "WALLY!"

"Steve! Are you hurt?!" Sharon kneeled down to check on her friend. He didn't appear to have any serious injuries, but he looked completely stunned. "Steve?"

"That… that was Wally. Wally's alive, but _how?_ " He stammered. Just then, he realized Sharon wasn't with the wounded Director. "Wait, where's Fury?"

"She didn't make it…" Sharon sighed. Just then, they heard a familiar humming sound. One of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s air-ships appeared and hovered over the roof. Agents Rumlow and Henshaw exited the ship and made their way over to Sharon and Steve. "Oh, thank God!" Sharon felt relieved. "Agent Rumlow! Director Fury has been assassinated. We attempted to capture the suspect, but he managed to escape. If we leave now, we may be able to catch him."

"That won't be necessary." Rumlow and Henshaw aimed their weapons at the two soldiers with genuine hostility in their eyes. Sharon was shocked. "Agent West, Captain Allen, you are both under arrest for the murder of Director Amanda Fury."

"What? No! We didn't kill the Director!" Sharon tried to reason with them before the realization hit her; she and Steve had been set up. Just when she thought it was over, Sharon found herself all the way on the other side of Manhattan in the blink of an eye.

"Fury tried to tell me…" Steve muttered to himself. "H.I.D.R.A. has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. They assassinated Fury and pinned it on us. For all we know, Rumlow and Henshaw have been undercover agents this whole time. We can't trust anyone…"

"Maybe we can…" Sharon rubbed her chin. "I think we need to head over to Harlem, _quickly_."

* * *

 **Two Hours Later at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters**

"Attention all agents, this is Security Director Alexander G. Godfrey." The agents turned their attention to the intercom. "I regret to inform you that Director Amanda Fury was assassinated by Captain Steve Allen and Agent Sharon West. Our sources tell us that they are still at large, and their current agendas are unknown. Until the World Council can assign a new Director, I have been placed in charge of all S.H.I.E.L.D. operations. Our top priority is to bring them in, or bring them _down_. Dismissed."

The agents argued in disbelief at what the Security Director had just told them. No one would ever believe that the Flag would commit high treason. Rumlow and Henshaw had finally arrived to put together a special strike team that would bring them in. But Selina Romanoff had other plans. She was going to find them herself, figure out what was really going on, and help them in any way she could. She was just walking down the hall, preparing to call an old friend for help, when she felt someone grab her shoulder and pull her into the shadows.

* * *

 **The Next Day, at an Unknown Facility**

"This is most disappointing, Cobalt." Baron Degaton scolded Rumlow as he put on his black body armor. "You were supposed to deliver the agents to us."

"My apologies, Baron Degaton." Cobalt put his mask over his face. "But, in my defense, the Winter Speedster saw supposed to have incapacitated them long before Henshaw and I arrived."

"Hmm, that's _true_ …" Degaton rubbed his chin as he thought about his next course of action. He dismissed Cobalt and made his way to the laboratory. There, strapped to a table, was the Winter Speedster. "So tell me, soldier, why did you not _properly_ detain the targets like I ordered?"

"He… he spoke to me…" The Speedster sounded as if he were conflicted. "Who was he…?"

"The _enemy_." Degaton snarled and gripped the Speedster's throat. "And the next time you face him, I expect you to show. No. Mercy!" Dr. Grodd placed the Speedster in suspended animation and faced his master. "Why did he hesitate, Grodd?"

"I-I don't _know_ , Baron Degaton." The elderly scientist shuddered with fright. "I've gone through the notes over and over again. It could be that our reprogramming process is too different from the one Stalin's scientists used, or perhaps he is somehow _fighting_ the process, altogether."

"Either way, this puts a considerable _strain_ on our plans."

" _My_ plans, Wolfram." Degaton and Grodd stiffened as the icy voice pierced the air. Baron Zero stepped out of the shadows and made his way to the other terrorists. "It would be _best_ if you remembered who is _truly_ in charge."

"Do I need to remind you that _I_ am the one who kept this organization together while you were locked away for twenty years?" Degaton spat in Zero's face. "And then you got yourself captured _again_ because of some misguided _revenge plot_."

"Don't _patronize_ me, Wolfram." Zero was unfazed by Degaton's threats. "I may have made _mistakes_ , but I _always_ survive. You honestly believe that our troops were loyal to _you?_ I've been running H.I.D.R.A. since you were a _boy_." Zero smiled mockingly under his mask as he motioned to Degaton's older frame. "Now look at you; a _boy_ in an _old man's body._ "

Degaton grit his teeth in anger. While Zero considered his immortality a curse, Degaton saw it as the one thing that stood between him and taking control of H.I.D.R.A. He drew his sword, prompting Zero to aim his cold gun directly at his face. Fortunately, before any harm could be done, Arnim DeVoe's face flickered onto a nearby screen, catching both of their attention. "Begging your pardon, Baron Zero, but your great-niece and her gentlemen friends have arrived."

"Excellent. Thank you, Dr. DeVoe." Zero gave Degaton a sinister glare before he holstered the cold gun. He made his way down the hall where he was greeted by a beautiful blond woman. He hugged her lovingly and looked at her new uniform, thinking fondly of his departed sister. ("You are a spitting image of your grandmother, my dear.")

("Oh, Uncle Leonard, you _flatter_ me!") The bombshell giggled.

("I have a very important assignment for you.") Even with his mask on, the woman could tell that her great-uncle was being serious. ("I need you to hunt the Flag down. Bring him to me, and we shall at last bring order to this world. Can I trust you?")

("Fear not, Uncle… my friends and I are _more than_ up to the challenge.") She snapped her fingers and four men stepped out of the shadows. All of them wearing costumes that resembled serpents with playing card motifs. ("Introducing, the Royal Flush Society of Serpents! King Cobra! Jack Anaconda! Ace Diamondback! Cottonmouth Ten! And me, Queen Viper! We will find the Flag, Uncle. And we shall deliver to you his head on a stake!")

("No, my dear. I want him _alive_.") Zero's sinister grin grew wider. ("So that he can watch as we take _everything_ away from him.")

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 **The Winter Speedster aka Wally Barnes aka Kid-Flag(Bucky Barnes/Wally West)**

 **Royal Flush Society of Serpents(Serpent Society/Royal Flush Gang)**

 **Queen Viper(Madam Viper/Golden Glider)**

 ***Remember? It happened in Chapter I Part 2!**


	24. The HIDRA Plot part 3

**Chapter XI: The H.I.D.R.A. Plot! Part 3***

 **Harlem, New York.**

Sam Irons pursed his lips and rubbed his chin as he listened closely to his friend. Just this morning, he was drinking his coffee and cursing the Patriots for the umpteenth time, when he heard a knock at his door. Sharon and Steve looked exhausted when he let them into his apartment. He made them both a cup of coffee and Sharon explained the situation. So far the explanation involved a murder, the infiltration of a government organization, and the two of them being framed for it all. The one thing he didn't understand was why Steve was involved in this. He had known Sharon was still working for the government, but as far as he knew, Steve Allen was a retired soldier from the US Military. But Sharon realized that if Sam was going to trust them, they'd both need to trust him first.

"Steve is the Flag." She blurted out. Sam looked over at the blond man and crossed his arms doubtfully.

"Prove it." He said. Steve looked at Sharon and sighed. He removed his shield from his backpack, pressed the star emblem in the center, and at a fantastic speed, changed into his uniform. "Okay, _that's_ pretty convincing." Sam said with wide eyes. "But why don't you just call in the rest of the JLA?"

"I would…" Steve began in a calm tone. "But Gargoyle is working on a different case and isn't answering my calls, Hyperman and Thunder Woman are both off-world with their protégées, and Emerald Man is away on a business trip."

"But how am _I_ supposed to help you?"

"Do you still remember where the Air Force keeps that flight suit you used?" Sharon asked.

"Yeah." Sam rubbed his neck, he had a bad feeling about where this was headed. "But it's in a heavily guarded, _impenetrable_ vault in D.C."

" _Nothing's_ impenetrable to _me_ …" said a voice. All eyes turned to see Selina Romanoff and a hooded figure climbing through the window. "If you want to stop H.I.D.R.A. and save S.H.I.E.L.D., you're gonna need _help_."

"Who is _this?_ " Sam pointed to the figure, paying close attention to the bow and quiver tied to his back. "The hell is _Robin Hood_ doing in my kitchen?"

The man took off his hood and introduced himself. "My name is Oliver Barton. But I also go by _Sharpshot_." Romanoff explained Barton's history; how he was stranded on a desert island for five years. He trained himself how to use a bow and arrow to defend himself, to the point where his aim was flawless. Once he was rescued, he was approached by Director Fury and given the opportunity to be a shadow agent for S.H.I.E.L.D. His first mission was supposed to be the termination of Romanoff, but he chose to spare her instead, and they've trusted each other ever since.

"Alright, so what's the plan?" Sharon asked no one in particular.

"Our best bet is that H.I.D.R.A. was able to infiltrate us by tracing the data I captured when we freed those hostages. If we're gonna get to the bottom of this, we need to find out where that data came from."

"But doesn't H.I.D.R.A. always delete all of their data before moving to a new location?" Flag pointed out.

"Usually, _yes_." Selina nodded. "But according to the briefing, the only reason they were on that ship in the first place was because some _crazy son of a bitch_ just stormed their last headquarters and they needed to get out of there as fast as they could."

"So, where is this former headquarters?"

"Just outside of Queensbury, Vermont." Selina pulled up a map on her phone. "In an abandoned quarry."

"Well, what're we waiting for?" Sam slurped down the rest of his coffee and stood with the other heroes.

* * *

 **One Hour Later. Washington D.C.**

The hardest part was stealing an air-craft from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hangar. Once they arrived in D.C., Selina took Sharon and Sam to the ground where they landed on the roof of building. Selina plugged a USB cord into the building's antenna and quickly typed onto her wristband. The door opened, and the three crept inside.

"Okay, I've disabled the laser security grid, reprogrammed the surveillance cameras, and now we just have to open the vault." Selina whispered to Sam and Sharon as they made their way down the halls.

"How did you learn to do all this?" Sam asked, very impressed.

"I used to be a _jewel thief_. This security is _child's play_." Sharon and Sam looked at her with incredulous looks on their faces. "Not that I'm _proud_ of it." When they reached the vault, Selina slipped on a special glove that had someone else's finger prints on it. She placed her hand onto the security-lock screen, and the vault door opened up. As Sam began his search for the flight suit, Selina's eyes spotted the perfect weapon for Sharon.

"Here, girl." She tossed it into her friend's arms. "We're gonna need all the _super power_ we can get."

"This is a _suit_." Sharon was confused. "A suit with a _fancy belt and helmet_."

"Just put it on!" Selina snapped. "And press the button on the palm."

Sharon didn't argue any further, she simply did as Selina asked. The suit felt snug and surprisingly warm as she adjusted it around her feet and arms. Once she put on the helmet and clipped on the belt, streams of light spread around the seams until it reached two buttons on her palms. She pressed the left button, but nothing happened. Then she pressed the right button, and the suit began to emit a low hum. Just then, Sharon's entire body began to shrink quickly until she was no bigger than an insect. The agent was startled at first, noticing how big everything looked compared to her. Selina adjusted her headset to a different frequency so that she could still talk to her friend.

"Its _okay_ , Sharon." She said calmly. "This suit was invented by Dr. Hank Palmer in 1989. He came up with the idea when was studying the effects of dwarf star matter on organic subjects. He planned to use this suit to be a crime fighter in his own right, but he had a heart attack before he could use it. _Now,_ press the left button."

Sharon gently tapped the button on her left palm and returned to her normal size. She took the helmet off, trying to catch her breath. Selina explained that the suit was capable of retaining the user's molecular mass, even after shrinking. That meant Sharon's strength would be doubled as long as she used it. Unfortunately, she wouldn't have very much time to learn its full capabilities, but she was certain this mission would be the perfect opportunity.

Suddenly, the two agents heard a noise coming from the other side of the vault. Sharon put her helmet back on and shrank down again, while Selina drew her gun and prepared to fire. Much to their relief they saw that Sam had found his flight suit. It was comprised of a light, steel armor with carbon-fiber wings attached to his arms. He put on the special goggles that would protect his eyes while flying at high speeds and looked to the others. "Where's Sharon?"

"Sam? Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, girl, but I can't _see_ you."

"Okay, _don't freak out_ …" Sharon waved her arms in the air. "Look _down_ at your shoulder." Sam freaked out when he saw the tiny woman, and impulsively knocked her off before he realized it. Sharon's breath hitched as she started to fall. Miraculously, the belt buckle beeped twice, and two wings popped out of the suit's backpack. Sharon was very impressed.

Once Sam was brought up to speed, the three heroes made their way out of the vault to meet up with the others. Once they were together, Oliver set the coordinates for the headquarters in Vermont. After they had left, a tall, lanky security guard walked down the hall and spotted the open vault. "Oh, _man_ …" he groaned to himself. "I am _so_ fired."

* * *

 **Vermont. Abandoned H.I.D.R.A. Facility**

"Look at this place!" Sam exclaimed as they all looked around. The area was almost completely demolished. Bodies were everywhere, the cavern walls were riddled with bullets, a large excavation vehicle had crashed into a wall, and green flames were everywhere. "What could've done this?"

"A good question…" Selina answered. "For _another day_."

"She's right." Oliver said. "We need to focus on getting our hands on that data. I'll check up there." Oliver clipped a grappling rope to his harness and one of his arrows, fired at the ledge, and pressed a button that zipped him up to the cavern.

Sam activated his flight suit, held Selina tightly, and they flew off to search other caverns. Meanwhile, Sharon and Flag checked the ground level for any piece of equipment that had survived the apparent onslaught. Sharon was still searching, but Flag had found a laptop that was still connected to one of the larger computers. He opened it up, and the screen flashed to life; at the top of the screen, Flag spotted a search bar. He looked around to see if any of his teammates where around, and typed in two words: Winter Speedster. A file popped up, and Flag silently read its contents.

 _From the notes of Dr. Otto Grodd:_

 _The Winter Speedster has been one of my greatest and most frustrating projects to date. The subject was first found in 1944 by Joseph Stalin's naval forces in the North Atlantic Ocean. Immediately identified as Private Wallace Barnes, the Russian forces fished the boy out of the waters and attempted to resuscitate him. When awoken, the boy had no memory of who he was or where he was. As the war came to a close, Stalin decided to use the boy's amnesia to his advantage._

 _Despite the loss of the subject's left leg, most likely caused by the explosion, he retained much of his muscle memory and fighting prowess. The Soviets spent years trying to create an artificial appendage that would be able to handle the strain of the boy's super speed. At last, with the invention of the microchip and internal wiring, the Soviets created a robotic leg that would absorb and conduct the energy emitted from the other-dimensional speed force._

 _With the help of brainwashing, Stalin was able to mold the former Kid-Flag into the perfect assassin. The Winter Speedster eventually fell into the hands of H.I.D.R.A. following Stalin's death and the fall of the Soviet Union. The previous scientists kept the subject in suspended animation until they could duplicate the brainwashing procedure that made the Winter Speedster controllable. While my technique has not been flawless, it has proven to give Baron Wolfram Degaton control over him._

Steve couldn't read any more, he just buried his face into his hands. Wally had survived the explosion, and he hadn't done anything to help him. Sharon found him sulking in the cavern, wondering what had him so shaken up. She looked at the screen and gasped silently.

"I have to admit, I was _hoping_ I was wrong." Steve cried.

"Steve, _none_ of this is _your fault_." Sharon put her arms around her friend. "You couldn't have _known_ Wally survived that blast. Let alone that he'd been captured by the Russians."

"Guys!" Selina and Sam rushed into the cavern. "We have to get to New York, _now!_ "

"What's wrong?" Sharon got up quickly. "Did you find the data?"

"Oh, we found the data, alright…" Selina looked scared. "H.I.D.R.A. has been infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. for _months_ now. They've rigged the special code the helicarriers needed so that it actually targets anyone _they_ consider to be a threat to their plans!Flag, Jordan, Alec Banner, Zatanna Strange, Niles Xavier, the list is almost _endless!_ " The others were completely silent. If the helicarriers were activated, the damage would be catastrophic. They all knew that they needed to get home as quickly as they could. "Oliver, fire up the air-ship. We're in a big hurry!" But there was no answer from Selina's friend. "Oliver?"

They all rushed outside, and saw the archer's neck in the clutches of a man dressed as a giant snake. The others readied themselves for an attack when four more serpent-themed villains arrived. A woman, dressed in golden scale armor slithered gracefully to the front of the group and placed her hands on her hips. " _Well, well, well,_ what do we have _here_ …?" Her voice sent chills down everyone's spine. "I thought you were supposed to be with Earth's mightiest heroes, Flag. Is _this really_ all you have? Some kind of Steel Falcon, a Black Cat, an angry Sharpshot, and a butterfly pretending to be a Hornet?"

"These men and women are some of the _finest_ people I know." Flag said proudly. "And I am _honored_ to have them fight by my side."

"Then you will be _equally_ honored to have them _die_ by your side!" Queen Viper hissed. "Attack!" the rest of the RFSS rushed towards the heroes, while Viper spoke into her earpiece. "Can you hear me, Uncle?"

"Yes, my dear." Baron Zero spoke calmly as he viewed his great-niece's battle through a surveillance screen. "Remember; you are free to kill the others as _gruesomely_ as you wish, but I want the Flag _alive_."

"Yes, Uncle…" She smiled before sprinting to join her allies. She unveiled two scythes from her boots and charged at the Flag. She may not have been a speedster, but with the way she sliced and kicked she might as well have been. Flag was actually having a hard time keeping up with her.

Meanwhile, the Black Cat rushed Cottonmouth Ten, who still had a tight grip on Sharpshot's throat. The large serpent swung his arm in an effort to hit the agent, but she grabbed onto it tightly, allowing her to wrap her legs around his neck. She activated the electrically-charged claws built into her gauntlets and dug them into Cottonmouth's face. The pain was so unbearable, the big serpent released his grip on Sharpshot so that he could reach Black Cat. He finally caught her and was just about to crush her in his grip when two arrows went straight through his muscular shoulders.

"Nobody hurts my friends…" Sharpshot muttered to himself, aiming the next arrow at Ten's head.

Sharon was fending off Ace Diamondback the best she could. She used a mixture of judo, karate, and tae kwan do, but Ace still blocked her without much effort. He swiped at her chest, and just barely grazed the fabric of her suit with his diamond-tipped claws. Acting on impulse, Sharon ran into one of the caverns and pressed the button on her right palm. Diamondback followed closely behind.

"I know you're _heeeeere_ , Hornet!" he called out in an eerie voice. "Snakes can sense their prey in _the dark._ Your blood smells simply… _intoxicating_ …" Sharon steadied her breathing as the suit automatically switched to night-vision lenses. She activated the wings and silently fluttered after her enemy. She gave a strong right hook, and sent him stumbling into the cavern's wall. He hissed angrily, bobbing his head around in an attempt to find her. Then he heard a beeping noise, coming from Sharon's belt. She desperately tried to get it to stop when she pushed the belt's emblem, making a small click. Duel pinchers formed around Sharon's wrists and she aimed them at Diamondback. Like magic, the pinchers fired yellow electricity at the slippery snake, rendering him comatose. Sharon had to admit, she liked the super-hero business.

Sam wasn't having as much fun. Jack Anaconda was climbing up the quarry's walls and leaping at the airborne hero, trying to bite him. Sam tried desperately to get himself in a good position, but Anaconda was too fast. Then, when he spotted a piece of abandoned equipment, Sam got an idea. He slowed down just enough for Jack to grab onto him, now came the hard part. As Jack snaked his way onto Sam's back, he grabbed the Steel Falcon's neck as tightly as he could. He was too busy enjoying himself to notice where they were going until Sam choked something out.

"Mmmnng crrnnn…"

"What?" Jack cocked an eyebrow and loosened his grip. "What did you say?"

"…mining crane…" Jack looked up just in time to see the large crane's hook smack him right in the face. As Anaconda fell to the ground, Sam removed two semi-automatic pistols from his holsters and fired two shots into Jack's shoulders. When the serpent hit the ground, he could only groan in pain. "Didn't you ever study the food chain?" Sam smirked. "Falcons _eat_ snakes."

By now, King Cobra had joined Queen Viper in attacking the Flag. He clawed and bit at the Flag's shield while Viper tried to strike his legs . Luckily, the Flag had shaken the surprise from his system and was now working faster than ever. Viper and Cobra were beginning to tire themselves out as they kept on the offensive.

"Viper! Listen to me!" Zero called. "He's trying to wear you down! You must devise a tactical retreat! Lure him into one of the caverns, and then-" but Viper never heard the end of her uncle's suggestion, because he couldn't speak. Zero choked as he looked down at the blade that had pierced him.

"You will never treat me like a child, Zemo… _ever again!_ " Degaton shoved Zero out of the way and sat down at the communications computer. Typing furiously, he entered a failsafe code built into all of the comm.-links that the RFSS used. "My apologies, Queen Viper." He smiled cruelly. "But at least you and your squadron shall be remembered… _as martyrs!_ " He pushed a button, and the communication devices in the RFSS's ears exploded, much to the surprise of the Flag and his friends.

"What… just happened?" Sharon returned to her normal size.

"We'll figure that out later." Flag shook his head. "We have to stop those helicarriers. And quickly!" The heroes rushed back to the air-ship and took off towards New York.

Meanwhile, Baron Degaton made his way to the collected members of H.I.D.R.A. and leaned towards the microphone. "My dear friends, it is with great sorrow that I inform you… Baron Zero and the Royal Flush Society of Serpents have been killed in action. We've got to launch the operation _now_. Hail H.I.D.R.A."

"HAIL H.I.D.R.A.!"

As Cobalt and Henshaw prepared to return to S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ, Degaton walked over to Dr. Grodd's lab, then he awoke the Winter Speedster. "You are to go with them. Once the helicarriers are in the air, retrieve the package and bring it to _me_."

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Sharpshot aka Oliver Barton(Hawkeye/Green Arrow)**

 **Steel Falcon aka Sam Irons(Falcon/Steel)**

 **Hornet I aka Hank Palmer(Ant-Man/Atom)**

 **Hornet II aka Sharon West(Wasp/Atom)**

 **Alec Banner(Bruce Banner/Alec Holland)**

 **Zatanna Strange(Stephen Strange/Zatanna Zatarra)**


	25. The HIDRA Plot part 4

**Chapter XI: The H.I.D.R.A. Plot! Part 4**

"Okay, we need to divide and conquer…" Black Cat spoke to her gathered friends. "Sharon and I need to get into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s control room to be ready and override the helicarriers' launch code. In order to do that, you three need to take these and plug them into the helicarriers' main computers." Selina reached for her belt and pulled out three USB ports.

"How did you get those?" Flag wondered out loud.

"No time to explain. We have to hurry before-"

But it was too late. Alexander G. Godfrey's face appeared on the screen of the air-ship. Just as it appeared on the every screen at S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ. "My fellow agents, we stand here today on the basis of history. Once we have launched Project: Helicarrier, we shall never have to worry about this world's safety again." Fortunately, Selina had an idea; she dismantled the screen in their air-ship, and began to tinker with the wires. By now, Oliver had landed them down to where the helicarriers would take off, and the five heroes prepared for the worst. But Selina stopped Flag and handed him a small microphone.

"Not _all_ of them are H.I.D.R.A., Flag…" She said softly. "They'll listen to you."

Steve took the microphone just as the agents were about to initiate the launch. "Attention all agents…" his voice calmly echoed throughout the building, catching everyone's attention. "This is Captain Steve Allen, though most of you know me as the Flag. You've heard _a lot_ about me over the last two days. That my friends and I have _betrayed_ you, but I think it's time for the truth. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been _taken over_ by H.I.D.R.A. Rumlow and Henshaw have been undercover agents the whole time, and there's no telling _who else_ has helped them. And they almost have what they want; absolute control of the world. They killed Director Amanda Fury, but they won't stop there. If you launch those helicarriers, they'll wipe out _anyone_ who stands in their way. But we have a chance to stop them, because I know some of you _truly_ want to protect the world. I'm begging you, as a friend and as a soldier; do _not_ launch those helicarriers. Captain Steve Allen, over and out."

The control room fell silent; no one knew what to do or who to trust. Could it be true what the Flag said? Had H.I.D.R.A. really taken over S.H.I.E.L.D.? Just then, Agent Rumlow walked into the center of the room and addressed everyone. "We can't trust what he says!" his voice boomed. "He murdered Director Fury! This was her _dream_ , and we _can't_ let her down! Launch the helicarriers!" Rumlow made his way to the two men in charge of the launch sequence. "Well…?" He crossed his arms impatiently.

"We're not going to launch, sir…" one of them said at last. "Captain's orders…" Rumlow rubbed his chin and nodded in faux-understanding. Then he took out his heat-gun and aimed it directly at the man's head, enticing a gasp from almost everyone in the room.

"Launch those goddamned helicarriers before I _blow your head off!_ " He roared. But the men still refused. Cobalt cocked his weapon and it hummed to life. But before he could pull the trigger, Agent West appeared out of nowhere, aiming some kind of blaster at Cobalt.

"You heard him, Rumlow." She said with a sneer. " _Captain's orders_." Cobalt aimed his gun at her, smiling as he saw Henshaw sneak up behind her. The older officer wrapped his arms around Sharon, unaware of the button she tapped on her palm. Sharon shrank down, grabbed Henshaw's wrist, threw him out the window, and chased after him.

Cobalt was shocked, but pointed his gun back at the man at the desk. But before he could fire, a bullet knocked the gun out of his hand and Black Cat dropped down and neutralized him. At this point, everyone in the room aimed their guns at everyone else. Nobody fired; they just stared at each other, uneasily.

* * *

Meanwhile, Flag, Steel Falcon, and Sharpshot made their way over to the launch pads. Before Flag could speed ahead of them, Steel Falcon called out to him. "Hey, Flag! How do we tell the _bad guys_ from the _good guys?!_ "

"If they're shooting at you, they're _bad guys_."

Oliver reached into his quiver for a grapple-arrow, fired at the first helicarrier, and zipped onto the deck. He was immediately met with numerous hostiles, as the H.I.D.R.A. agents saw no further need to hide themselves. As they closed in on him, he heard one of them refer to him as "easy prey." Sharpshot hit the first agent directly in the shoulder, causing him to swing his machine gun backwards and fire at his fellow agents. Sharpshot took advantage of everyone's surprise and made a run for the flight deck.

He removed three more arrows from his quiver and fired at hit three different targets: the sniper on the other end of the helicarrier, the machine gunner opening the door, and the automated lock that kept him out. He broke down the door, stormed the flight deck, and put an arrow in everyone who got in his way. At last, he plugged the USB into the computer and uploaded the override code. "Helicarrier one; disabled…" He spoke into the comm.-link before shooting another agent trying to sneak up on him.

At that moment, Steel Falcon was high in the sky and making his way towards helicarrier two. He spun through the air, dodging every blast made at him. "Hey, Flag, I think I found the bad guys!" he joked. One of the blasts hit him directly in the chest, forcing him to crash into the ground. The blast hurt, but the armor had protected him from serious injury. Luckily, he landed in a construction site and saw something that would help him take out the cannon.

He picked up the sledgehammer and took off back towards the helicarrier. This time, whenever a blast got close enough, he deflected it with the blunt of the hammer. For a moment, he wondered if this was how Thunder Woman felt when she used her own hammer to summon lightning. When he reached the cannon, he threw the construction tool into the barrel, causing the final blast to backfire and destroy the cannon entirely. He quickly made his way into the control deck, uploaded the USB's override code, and went back outside to continue the fight.

"Sam!" Sharon called into the comm.-link. "I could use some help with Henshaw!"

"On my way, Wild West!" He called back to his friend. He glided off of the helicarrier and was just around the building when something caught his leg.

"Been a while since I've killed a darkie…" Cobalt grinned under his mask as he slammed Falcon into the ground. "I'm gonna _enjoy_ this…"

"What the _hell_ did you just call me?" Sam got up and cracked his knuckles. " _I'm_ gonna enjoy this a _whole lot more_." He retracted the wings and rushed at Cobalt.

At the same time, Flag had neutralized all of the H.I.D.R.A. agents and uploaded the override code in the blink of an eye. He was just about to go help the others, when he saw a flash of red and blue lightning rush into S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ. "Wally…" he gasped and quickly followed after him.

The Winter Speedster carried Baron Degaton into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s vault and began the search for their ultimate prize. A few seconds later, Degaton smiled as he clutched Circi's scepter in his hands. "At last… the weapon of a _god_ is _mine_ to command." Degaton basked in his glory, knowing that H.I.D.R.A. would now have no choice but to acknowledge him as their leader. Baron Zero's plan had succeeded, but under Baron Degaton's command.

"That's what you came for?" Degaton turned around to see incredulous look on the Flag's face. "You infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., brainwashed my friend, and killed Director Fury for the _scepter?_ "

"Oh, _come now_ , Herr Flag…" Degaton paced as he spoke. "You must _realize_ what I hold in my hands. This scepter has the power to control the mind of _anyone_ I wish. I can rewrite their personality, reveal any secret I desire, and there is _nothing_ the victim can do to _resist!_ I don't _need_ the helicarriers anymore, because once I find a way to increase the scepter's power, H.I.D.R.A. will rule the world!"

"Maybe _next time_." Flag threw his shield at Degaton, only for the Winter Speedster to catch it in mid-air. Steve gasped in shock. Degaton order the Winter Speedster to kill him, and the Speedster complied. He threw the shield back at Flag and rushed to attack. Flag caught the shield but left himself open for his old friend to tackle him to the ground, all the while, Degaton watched with interest.

* * *

Meanwhile, Selina activated the ventilation system, sending the knock-out gas out of the room. She removed her mask and made her way to Security Director Godfrey. "Well done, Agent Romanoff…" He smiled in gratitude. "I must say that was a _very_ daring-" but he was cut off when Selina punched him in the face.

"Don't give me that, Godfrey." She sneered. "When we found H.I.D.R.A.'s data, we _also_ found a complete list of active agents. Why did you betray us?"

Godfrey was silent for a moment. "Because this world is in chaos. Can't you see? This is our chance to finally bring order to our world. _Freedom_ is what leads to massive killings, terrorism, and political warfare. Once the world is under _one rule_ , we can _truly_ have peace. And if that means the destruction of the old world, _so be it_."

"Sorry…" Selina forcibly lead Godfrey of to the main control console. "Your definition of _peace_ doesn't exist in _my_ dictionary." She activated the override procedure on the main console and held Godfrey's eye over the retinal scanner. Once the process was finished, she pushed him out of the way.

"The override code needs _two_ level ten officers to be activated." Godfrey grinned smugly.

"Oh, don't worry; I brought a _friend_." Selina stepped out of the way, allowing Amanda Fury to come out of the shadows.

"You…" Godfrey stuttered. "But… you _died_."

"Almost." Amanda corrected. "But thanks to the Flag and Agent West, I managed to sneak away and get proper medical treatment. I had Agent Romanoff carry out my plan while I laid low until I was needed. Why did you do it, Godfrey?"

"The same reason you've done _anything_ in your career, Amanda." He explained. "We can bring _peace_ and _safety_ to billions of lives by cutting off _millions_."

"I only did what I did to _protect_ my country. But patriotism taken too far is _fanaticism_." Amanda moved to the retinal scanner.

"Don't you think by now we would've _erased_ your-"

"I know, I know, you erased my password. Probably even deleted my _retinal_ scan. But if you want to stay ahead of me…" The Director removed her eye-patch, revealing the most damaged part of her body. "You need to keep _both eyes_ open." She held her blind eye over the retinal scanner and completed the override process, preventing the helicarriers from lifting off.

Godfrey knew that he had been defeated. He took out his gun and placed it under his chin before uttering his last words. "Hail H.I.D.R.A."

* * *

Sharon was still trying to put Henshaw out of commision, but the elderly officer was much tougher than he seemed. She shrunk down, pelted him with sting blasts, but he would not falter. Just then, an arrow zipped right past Henshaw's hip and stuck into the ground. Once Sharon saw the grenade pin dangling on the shaft, she sped away just before the explosion. Henshaw lay on the ground, a broken shell of the man he once was.

Sharon thanked Oliver and the two agents went to help Sam with Cobalt. When they found them, Cobalt was using powerful gauntlets that acted as pile-drivers against Sam's armor. The sinister agent was filled with wicked glee as the others rushed him. He positioned himself for an attack when his master called through his comm.-link.

"Cobalt! Are you there?!"

"Y-yes, Baron Degaton, but-"

"I need you! Return to me at once!" Cobalt sneered and grudgingly ran away from the battle.

At the same time, Flag was racing around the vault trying to keep up with the Winter Speedster. The brainwashed assassin tripped him up, but Flag grabbed onto his mask, causing them both to spiral out of control. Flag threw the torn mask to the ground, removed his own, and looked at his oldest friend with desperation. "You _know_ me…" He said calmly.

"NO, I DON'T!" Winter Speedster screamed as he rushed Steve again. But the super-soldier caught him and threw him back to the ground. But he did not want to hurt him.

"Your name… is _Wallace Rudolph Barnes_ …" He breathed heavily. "You're _not_ the Winter Speedster… you're _not_ a _weapon_ … you're my _son_."

The Speedster took out his pistol and aimed it at Steve's head, holding the firearm with both hands. "You're my _mission_ …" He said shakily. "YOU'RE MY MISSION!"

"… then _finish it_." Steve dropped his shield and fell to his knees. "Do whatever you _need_ to… 'cause I'm here for you… 'til the _end of the finish line_."

The Speedster's face was fell. Conflict was eating away his soul, but he couldn't tell why. Degaton lost patience; he aimed his own pistol at Steve and fired. As the bullet left the chamber, time slowed down around Steve. He got off of his knees, knocked the scepter out of Degaton's hands, grabbed it, and moved in front of Winter Speedster. Time returned to normal once he held the tip of the god's tool to his friend's forehead.

"Remember who you are…" he said. The Winter Speedster buckled in pain, so many memories came flooding back into his mind; the memories of Wally Barnes. Fury and Selina stormed into the room, guns trained on the H.I.D.R.A. agents. Steve stood in front of Wally holding his hands up in defense. "Amanda! Selina! Wait! You can't!"

"That man has killed _hundreds_ , Flag!" Fury barked.

"Please, you have to _trust me_. This isn't the Winter Speedster… not _anymore_." Fury was silent for a moment before she finally relented. "Wally, everything's going to be _alright_."

"Steve…?" Wally trembled. "Oh, _God_ … What have I done?"

"Wally?"

"You should've _killed_ me! All those people! I _murdered_ them in cold blood! And for _what?!_ " He grabbed the scepter out of Steve's hands. "For this _damn thing?!"_ He raised Circi's weapon over his head and hit it against the ground.

"Wally, no!" But it was too late. The blinding light coupled with the powerful shock wave knocked everyone to the floor. Degaton was the first to recover, only to find that the Winter Speedster had vanished. Luckily, the scepter was still there

"Baron Degaton, sir!" Cobalt rushed in. "What happened? Where's the Winter Speedster?"

"Never mind that!" Degaton grabbed the scepter and handed it to his agent. "Take this back to H.I.D.R.A. NOW!"

"But, sir, what are you going to do?"

"Something that should have been done _a long time ago_ …" As Cobalt left, Degaton unsheathed his sword and made his way over to the Flag's unconscious body. "Zemo's greatest mistake was ever allowing you to _live_ , Flag!" He lifted the sword over his head when both of his legs suddenly froze all the way to the bone. He fell to the ground, howling in agony.

"If you think _that_ hurts…" Degaton heard an icy voice whisper. "Wait until it _thaws out_." A young man dressed in a purple skin-tight thermal suit walked over to the injured Baron and shattered his legs to pieces. "Do you feel _helpless? Humiliated? Scared?_ Good… now you'll know what my _cousin_ and her allies endured!" The man grabbed Degaton by the arm and dragged him back to H.I.D.R.A.

* * *

 **S.H.I.E.L.D. Infirmary. A Few Hours Later.**

Steve woke up to see Sharon and Sam sitting right next to him. Sharon explained that with the help of the data they gathered back at the quarry, S.H.I.E.L.D. was hunting down the remaining H.I.D.R.A. agents that had infiltrated them. Project helicarrier was being shut down permanently, and Director Fury even took the liberty of explaining the situation to the U.N. Sam decided to give the two some time alone and left the room. Sharon sighed and leaned back in her chair, feeling exhausted.

"I should be _used_ to this…" she muttered. "But why is it that when something _crazy_ happens to us, it can't be _good-crazy?_ " Steve looked at his girlfriend as she continued to lean back.

"Sharon?" He smiled as she opened one eye to acknowledge him. "I love you."

"Aw… I love you, too, Steve." She smiled softly.

"Will you marry me?" Sharon was shocked. She sat up straight to look Steve in the eye. " _Come on_. We can run away, get married like a good boy and girl, and be _happy_ for once. What do you say?"

Sharon cupped a hand over her mouth as tears ran down her cheeks. She hugged Steve tightly and laughed in pure joy. "Yes… the answer is _yes_ …"

Over the next few days, Steve helped Sharon move all of her belongings into his apartment. The wedding was relatively short with Sam acting as the best man and Selina as a bridesmaid. Director Fury gave them one week off as a wedding present, so Steve picked Sharon up bridal style and carried her and their luggage to Paris. As Sharon was getting ready for bed, she noticed Steve standing out on the balcony, looking past the horizon. Somehow, she knew what he was thinking about.

"You're going to try and find him, aren't you?" She rubbed his shoulders gingerly. "Selina says you _saw_ him die right in front of you."

"I saw him die right in front of me _once before_." He breathed lightly. "But now I know what I _should have_ known back in '44; Wally's a _survivor_. And I'm gonna find him."

"Steve…" Sharon smiled and set two glasses and a bottle of red wine on the table. "You're simply _too good_ for this world."

"What's the wine for, Sharon?" Steve cocked a curious eyebrow.

Sharon chuckled and let her hair fall down around her shoulders. "You ask _too many questions_ , Steve…" Steve smiled and made his way towards his new wife.

 **Back In America**

At the World War II museum, the security guards were shutting off the lights and making their final rounds. Once they were gone, a figure vibrated through the wall. Wally walked over to the glass display case and smiled fondly at his old uniform. "'Til the end of the finish line…" he whispered happily.

 _Wally was admiring his new outfit in the mirror when Steve walked in. "How's it feel?" he asked._

" _It feels awesome!" Wally laughed. "Check me out! I'm Kid-Flag, the fastest cadet alive! C'mon, old man, let's nail those Nazis!" He raced alongside his mentor as they made their way into Germany. "This is the_ best _day of my life!"_

* * *

 **Epilogue:**

Baron Zero shook his head in disappointment as he stuck another needle into Degaton's body. The cruel leader of H.I.D.R.A. pumped cryogenic liquids into Degaton's veins, causing the traitor to slowly freeze to death. He rubbed his fully-healed stab wound as he paced in front of the freezing agent.

"Do you know what I find ironic, Wolfram?" Zero put his arm around the young, thermal-clad agent. "Before I took over H.I.D.R.A., my predecessor had _seven_ so-called 'legitimate' children. All of whom _died_ without contributing _anything_ to H.I.D.R.A. Whereas _I_ , on the other hand, have one _illegitimate_ son, who is like _me_ in many ways."

"Thank you, Baron Zero." The young man nodded his head in respect.

Zero smiled under his mask and continued. "You see, nineteen years ago, I fell in love with a woman by the name of Marian Snart, and it wasn't long before Helmut was born. Much to my surprise, at age six, he developed _cryokenisis_ , no doubt caused by the effects of Cold X on my body. And like any good father, I spent years helping him reach his full potential. He's served as my personal spy within this operation, protecting me from the likes of you."

"K-kill me… please…" Degaton cried.

"Baron Zero?" Arnim DeVoe's face appeared on a nearby screen. "Mr. Von Havoc has arrived."

"Ah, yes… him and his Masters of Doom." Zero aimed his cold gun at Degaton and froze his body until it shattered to pieces. "Tell Mr. Von Havoc that I will be joining him shortly. And Dr. DeVoe?"

"Yes, Baron Zero?"

"Due to Wolfram's sloppiness, S.H.I.E.L.D. will undoubtedly be _looking_ for us. Have the troops go into hiding until further notice. If Havoc's plan succeeds, the Flag and his allies will no longer be a problem for us." Zero turned to his son and patted him on the shoulder. "Commander Blizzardkrieg shall take command until I return."

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Commander Blizzardkrieg aka Helmut Snart(Helmut Zemo/Leonard Snart)**

 **Masters of Doom(Masters of Evil/Legion of Doom)**


	26. Dawn of the Dark Elves part 1

**Chapter XII: The Dawn of the Dark Elves! Part 1**

The Multiverse Theory states that we do not inhabit one universe, but merely _one_ of _multiple_ universes. When the new gods first came to planet Earth, they came across the Space Ring; a key to unlocking any point of any universe. Upon this discovery, the Greek god Zeus accidentally unlocked a doorway to the Darkworld. And from the Darkworld came the Dark Elves. The Queen of the Dark Elves, Malaketh Le'Fay, seduced Lord Zeus and captured the Space Ring for herself, intending to use its power to transform our universe into absolute darkness.

A temporary truce was made between Zeus, Jupiter and Odin; and through their combined efforts, they banished the Dark Elves back to Darkworld. To ensure that the Space Ring could never be used again, the three god-kings hid it in Limbo, a place where time and space do not exist. But every three hundred years, the Space Ring can be reached by those who wield incredible magic.

 **Many Years Later. The Realm of Asgard.**

Circi, the self-proclaimed goddess of evil was being led down the halls of Asgard into the throne room. Six guards held her bound in chains as her trial was about to begin. She looked around the grand room, observing the three gods present; Lord Odin, Lady Hippolyta, and her adoptive brother, Baldur the Brave.

"Circi…" Baldur whispered. "Please, don't make this any worse."

"Define 'worse.'" Circi chuckled.

"Enough…" Odin's voice bellowed. "Circi, you face charges of attacking the mortal realm in a delusional attempt to overthrow them. How do you plead?"

"Well, considering that you _all_ _but denied_ me the right to rule Asgard once I reached the proper age, I saw fit to rule elsewhere."

"You had no right to impose your will on the mortals, Circi." Hippolyta said sternly.

"I had my _birthright_."

"Your _birthright_ was to _die!_ " Odin snapped. "Cast aside like _unwanted waste!_ "

"Father, please, I beseech thee-!" Baldur stepped forward.

"SILENCE!" Odin's voice boomed. "Circi… I find you guilty of your charges. You shall live out the rest of your days locked away in Asgard's dungeon."

"And that _clay-born fool_ you call a daughter shall rule instead?"

"It would be _wise_ to bite your tongue before we choose to have it _cut out_." Hippolyta snapped. "Diana shall full-fill her duties as Thunder Woman, protect the nine worlds from danger and disorder, and then, _yes_ , she shall rule Asgard."

"Guards, remove the prisoner." Odin waved his hand to dismiss his loyal subjects. As Circi was once again being led away, her eyes met Baldur's. If she had looked close enough, she would have seen the shear disappointment that filled his soul. It was because of Baldur that her life was spared, and now she would never see him again.

* * *

Meanwhile, on Alfhiem, Asgard's army was aiding their forces with a traitorous rebellion. Lady Sif and Hogun the Grim led the assault with Artemis, Volstagg, and Nubia close behind. The rebels were relentless as they slaughtered anyone in their paths. Fandrall the Swift tried his best to hold his own, but the enemy's numbers were too much for him. Nubia's incredible muscles began to ache as the fighting kept on, causing her to slow down. Even Artemis was about to pass out from the exhaustion as the rebels set fire to the natives' camps. Just then, a pillar of pure light came crashing down from the sky and landed right in the middle of the battle field.

When the dust finally cleared, Thunder Woman and Delta-Ray Donna swung their magical weapons at the rebels. The Uru hammer and axe knocked through dozens of enemies before returning to their respective wielders. Donna smiled with childish glee as she threw herself into battle. Diana, however, acted more responsibly by grabbing her sister's cape and dragging her towards the others.

"I had this under control!" Sif snapped at her friend as she blocked a rebel's mace with her shield.

"Is that why everything's on _fire?_ " Diana joked. Just then, all of the rebels stopped fighting and stepped to the side, cheering as a hulking stone creature made its way towards the Asgardian Amazons and their brothers. Diana placed one hand on her hip, looked the creature up and down, and smiled brightly with a raised eyebrow. "I am Princess Diana of Asgard. Heiress to Lord Odin. And I am here to negotiate the terms of your surrender." The rebels laughed hoarsely at the goddess' words, but the laughter soon came to an end when Diana reduced the creature to rubble with a single strike from her hammer.

After the rebels had thrown down their weapons and shields, the Amazons and Asgardians quickly rounded them up, ready to transport them to Asgard's dungeon. "Perhaps next time, we should _start_ with the big one!" Nubia joked, making everyone in Asgard's army laugh. When the gods and goddesses returned to the shining city, Nubia returned to her place beside her brother, Heimdall, guarding the rainbow bridge. The others made their way to the grand hall to celebrate their recent victory.

As Volstagg munched on a giant leg of lamb, his sister, Artemis, chugged down an entire barrel of Asgard's strongest mead. Hogun and Fandrall were entertaining Asgard's noblewomen with tales of their battles, while Donna told Lady Sif of her feats on Earth. Diana, on the other hand, walked out of the hall. She made her way up to the highest tower of Odin's palace, leaned over the balcony, and longingly stared out at the stars.

"There once was a time when you would celebrate for _days_." Diana turned; it was her mother, Queen Hippolyta. She hugged her beloved daughter and joined her in her star-gazing. "Is something on your mind?"

"I have spent only a few _decades_ as the Thunder Woman, mother…" Diana began softly. "And yet, I can't imagine a life _without_ it. I feel as if I would rather remain a _warrior in battle_ than sit as a _queen_ upon a _throne_. And… my _friend_ , John Foster… It should come as no surprise that I would miss _him_ as well."

"Mortal lives are but a _flicker of light_ in the grand cosmos, Diana." Hippolyta said sternly. "They aren't worthy of our time, and yet they _turned on us_ after everything we'd done for them. Besides, you still have _plenty_ of time before your father steps down from the throne; in that time, you will grow _tired_ of being Thunder Woman, and _perhaps_ you can choose a proper consort. There _are_ many lovely noblemen and maidens in Asgard." Hippolyta walked back to the grand hall, leaving her daughter deep in thought.

"Humanity may have abandoned _us_ , mother…" she said to herself. "But I shall _never_ abandon them."

* * *

 **Meanwhile, on Earth.**

"Okay, now, it says we need to add the eggs into the cookie mix…" Stacy Foster read the cooking instructions to her older brother.

"Okay." John cracked the two eggs onto the bowl and let the contents fall inside.

"But only the egg _whites_." Stacy turned the page.

"Are you _serious?!_ " John groaned and gently plucked the egg yolks out of the bowl. The war-veteran was on temporary leave from S.H.I.E.L.D. and used it to spend time with his sister and her family. His nephew was playing with his daughter in the living room, and his niece would arrive in just about an hour. Stacy mixed the contents of the bowl and poured it out onto a cooking pan.

"So, how are things with Diana?" the elderly woman asked.

"Oh, _you know_ , she's off fighting space Vikings, training an alien to be her sister, talking about becoming Queen with her mom and dad; the _usual_."

"Y'know… it's a real _shame_ that the two of you didn't work out…" Stacy sighed. "I was looking forward to having nieces and nephews of my own."

"Can we… _please_ not talk about that, Stacy?" John tried to smile. "Let's just hurry up, and lick this bowl clean." Unfortunately, the Major got a call from Director Fury. Stacy couldn't hear what she was saying, but she didn't like John's responses. "Hello? Yes, I'm still- what? The Enchantress? They found her _where?_ Okay, I'll-uh… I'll hurry." He hung up the phone and turned to his sister with a sorry expression. "I'm sorry, Stacy… I gotta go."

"Okay…" She hung her head in defeat.

A while later, John Foster was flying in an air-ship towards England. Thanks to the Flag and his new secret league, H.I.D.R.A. was in a current state of disarray. The main leaders of the organization had gone into hiding, but a few smaller groups had been outed by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s task-force. One of those groups was found helping Minerva the Enchantress with what the recon group described as a ritual of some sorts. After reviewing the images that the spies had sent him, Major Foster noticed that several of the symbols she had painted for the ritual were nearly identical to those on the dagger that gave Amora Minerva the Enchantress' powers.

The air-ship landed near Stonehenge, and the agents quickly made their way to the enemy. While they apprehended the H.I.D.R.A. agents, Major Foster found the Enchantress sitting in the middle of the giant stone pillars. "Soon, Lady Le'Fay, you shall be free to rule in darkness…" She whispered as she continued the incantation. Suddenly, the painted symbols glowed brightly and a portal appeared in front of the witch.

"Freeze!" Foster's experience with magic told him he needed to stop the Enchantress now.

"Don't take another step!" Enchantress opened her eyes, smiling wickedly as she snapped her fingers. In a puff of smoke, two familiar teens appeared right in front of Foster, helplessly restrained by magic ropes.

"Speedster-Man? Marvelgirl?" Foster was shocked as Minerva leapt to her feet and held two blades to her captives' throats. "Minerva, they're just _kids!_ "

"Then put you weapon _down_ and get on your knees!" the witch snarled.

"Don't listen to her, Major Foster!" Speedster-Man begged. "Don't worry about us!"

"Enough, they die!"

"Wait!" Foster held up his hands in surrender. He put his gun on the ground and kicked it over to the Enchantress. Once the Major was on his knees, Minerva released the teens and the young speedster trapped him in webs of pure light. "Speedster-Man, what the hell?!"

The speedster smiled under his mask and vibrated every molecule in his body. When he stopped, the body of his costume changed to black; his gloves, boots, mask and insignias changed to green; his goggles changed to pitch black, and his hair went from brown to blond. Marvelgirl pressed the crest on her chest and her costume began to change as well. Her skirt, boots, and cape changed to yellow; her shirt changed to black; and her insignia went from an 'H' to an 'M.'

"What the-?!" Foster was shocked.

"Oh, don't _worry_ , Major…" Enchantress wrapped her arms around the teens' shoulders. "They're _clones_ , not _traitors_. Allow me to introduce you to _Momentum_ and _Mastergirl_. H.I.D.R.A. was kind enough to lend their services to me." The witch thanked them for their help, and let them rush back to their master. Enchantress turned back to the portal and gazed lustfully. "You see, Major Foster, when I first became the Enchantress, I was at the peak of my full power. If not for Thunder Woman, this pathetic planet would _worship_ me as a _god!_ But over the years, through the countless _battles,_ my powers have begun to _ebb_. Soon, I shall be the same pathetic woman I was long ago."

"Sounds good to me." John chuckled, earning a slap from Minerva.

" _However_ …" She started again, trying to ignore the soldier's comment. "I have traced the source of my power to the Queen of Darkworld. She has promised to restore my power to its former glory, in exchange for unlocking the gates of Limbo and retrieving the key to the Multiverse."

"Not so fast, bitch!" It was the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents; they had noticed Foster's absence and finally found him. Unfortunately, Enchantress was much faster than any of them, and quickly used her magic to attack. One of the agents was unlucky enough to reach for a grenade when Minerva struck him. The explosion created a powerful shockwave that knocked Foster off of the ground and into the portal.

When he woke up, Foster saw that the portal was gone. He got up and looked around his surroundings, only to find that there were none. Wherever he was, there was only solid, white nothingness. He tried not to panic and decided to simply walk forward, then he saw it. Floating right in front of him was a dark red ring. Curiously, he reached out to try and hold it in his hands. Suddenly, as if it sensed his presence, it flew onto his finger and began to glow brightly.

John tried to pull it off, but the ring was stuck on tight. The red light finally engulfed his entire body and he found himself flying out of the strange dimension. The ring was dragging John through multiple universes, each one different from his own. At last, the ring took him to a shining city in the sky, and he landed in front of a familiar raven-haired angel.

"John?" Diana was shocked. She kneeled down and placed her palm against her friend's forehead. "How did you get here? Are you alright?"

"Diana…?" John groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. "Am I dreaming…? Naw, I _can't_ be… you don't wear _that_ in my dreams…"

Diana looked down at her attire and then back at John with a confused look. "What _do_ I wear in your dreams?"

"Whipped cream…"

Diana huffed indignantly and rolled her eyes at John's comment. At least now she knew that he was fine, but she still didn't know how he was able to get to Asgard. But her eyes widened once her thumb brushed over his finger and she felt the sheer power of the ring he was wearing. Her mouth was agape as she examined it with a mixture of awe and fear. "Where did you _get_ _this?_ "

"Halt!" They both heard a voice call out. John looked up to see a group of armored warriors, pointing their spears directly at his face.

"Shit…" He muttered.

* * *

Meanwhile, Enchantress had slaughtered the other S.H.I.E.L.D. in a blind fury. Because of their interference, she had just lost her only way into Limbo. She couldn't open another portal without the proper materials, so instead she focused her magic on locating Foster's mortal form. Much to her surprise, she found him at the mercy of Asgard's warriors with the Ring in his possession. She sat back down into a meditation, and contacted her Queen.

"Queen Le'Fay, there has been a slight change of plans…" She spoke softly. "A mortal by the name of John Foster foiled my attempt to capture the Space Ring, but I have tracked him to the halls of Asgard. He now wears it upon his finger."

"Hmm… that _is_ most interesting…" Le'Fay rubbed her chin, deep in thought. "You have done _well_ , Minerva. With the Space Ring free from Limbo's grasp, I can open the gates into your universe for a short time. I will send a small army to retrieve the Ring, and meet you on that miserable planet to finish what we started." Minerva nodded in agreement and the contact was broken. Le'Fay called upon her elite soldiers, and with wicked glee, she gave them their orders.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Malaketh Le'Fay(Malaketh/Morgan Le'Fay)**

 **Momentum(Kaine/Inertia)**

 **Mastergirl(Masterman/Powergirl)**


	27. Dawn of the Dark Elves part 2

**Chapter XII: The Dawn of the Dark Elves! Part 2**

 **The Realm of Asgard**

John Foster was having a very bad day. Just this morning, he was called away from time with his sister to capture the Enchantress. But somehow, the entire mission escalated into a horrible mess that left him trapped in a blank dimension until a magic ring brought him to Asgard. Now, ten spears were pointed directly at him as he lay, helplessly, next to his ex-girlfriend. A man dressed in bronze armor stepped past the warriors and made his way to Diana and John.

"What is the meaning of this, Diana?" He asked sternly. "You know that mortals are _forbidden_ from entering Asgard."

"Baldur, my dear brother, if you'd just let me explain-" Diana bolted up.

"There is _no need_ for an explanation. Guards, remove this mortal." Baldur snapped his fingers and two Asgardians moved in to pick John up.

"No, wait!" Diana shouted, but it was too late. The Space Ring released a powerful amount of energy that knocked everyone back. Baldur was shocked, but when he saw the red ring upon the mortal's finger, he knew that his father would want to see this. Once Diana helped her friend up on his feet, Baldur instructed them to follow him into the throne room.

Little did anyone realize that the jolt of energy had given a sinister Queen the information she craved. Using her own powerful magic, she created a mystic portal into Asgard's shining city. Malaketh turned to her loyal subject, Kurse. Moving her hands through the air, she conjured a magic helmet and handed it to Kurse. He put the helmet on, and the metal began to expand over his body, fusing with his own skin. At last, the armor was complete, and Malaketh smiled at her living weapon.

"You are now the _Executioner_ …" She announced; her voice softer than silk. "You will lead the attack on Asgard, strike them from _within_ , and once you've located the Space Ring, you shall read this scroll and summon me to you…"

"As you wish, Queen Le'Fay…" Executioner took the scroll from his queen and led the small battalion through the portal.

Meanwhile, back on Asgard, Baldur had brought Diana and John before the King of Asgard and Queen of the Amazons. John was rather impressed with the building's architecture. The first time he crashed there, he only saw the outside before Diana took him home. But to actually see the beautiful décor and amazing infrastructure left him awe-struck. He was brought out of his daze by a quick slap on his arm. Diana's eyes darted to the ground, then to Odin, before gazing back at John. The Major looked at her and her brother before getting the message.

"Oh, right! Bow!" He yelped and dropped to his hands and knees.

"You may rise…" Odin said calmly. "Baldur the Brave, why have you brought this mortal before me?"

"Lord Odin, this mortal has somehow come into possession of the Space Ring." The entire room went silent. The guards looked frightened at the very mention of the Ring.

"Who are you, mortal?" Queen Hippolyta stood from her throne and stepped towards her audience, towering over John.

"Major John Foster, ma'am." He said respectfully. "But, uh, we've actually _met_ before."

"Have we?" Hippolyta leaned her head in confusion.

"Yeah, I _crashed here_ in '74…" John said, carefully. "You tried to _kill_ me."

"Ah, _yes_ , I remember now…" She said casually. "You are the reason my daughter chose to become the Thunder Woman."

"Well, in my _defense_ she told me she wanted to come to Earth anyw-" John was cut off when Diana elbowed him in the ribs.

"Hmm, yes…" Hippolyta eyed them both, skeptically. "Well, Major Foster, the Ring that you wear is what's known as an _Infinity Ring_ ; more specifically, the Ring that controls all concepts of Space. Long ago, Lord Odin discovered the Ring along with Zeus and Jupiter, which _then_ lead to the discovery of the _Multiverse_. An evil queen, Malaketh Le'Fay, attempted to use the Ring's power to bring her dark dimension into ours. Fortunately, Lord Odin and the other god-kings were able to banish her to Darkworld and seal the breach between our worlds. The Space Ring is the key to accessing any point of Space as we know it."

John looked down at the ring. "As in… if I wanted to, I could just _snap my fingers_ and teleport to any place I could think of?"

"Essentially, _yes_ …" Hippolyta nodded. "However, I would strongly advise _against_ attempting such a thing. The Infinity Rings' powers are far too immense for mere mortals. Only those who have mastered great magic, possess immense power, or channel them through tools can use the Rings without harming their bodies. Even now, the Space Ring is causing you to die."

"Okay, so, how do I get it off?" John was starting to feel nervous.

"Well, it's _complicated_."

* * *

 **Meanwhile, in Asgard's Dungeon.**

"It took you _long enough_ to visit me…" Circi paced around Baldur in her cell.

"Circi, I have done _everything_ I can to make your stay here tolerable." Baldur reasoned. "I've provided you with _books_ , had you sent your favorite _meals-_ "

"But am I queen of Asgard?" Circi snapped. "Am I treated as equals with that pathetic excuse for an Amazon?"

"Circi, your sister is-"

"She is _not_ my sister!"

"Then am _I_ not your brother?" The question took her off-guard. Even without the acceptance of Odin and Hippolyta, Baldur had always treated her with the same love and respect he had shown Diana. She remembered the times when he would read to her when she was young, how he taught her almost all she knew about magic, how he'd sleep next to her when she was young because she was afraid of the dark. For a moment, she just stared at him blankly, until she calmly replied.

" _No_. You're _not_." Baldur smiled, knowing that she wasn't being honest with herself. Circi waved her hand, making the illusion disappear. She sat down on her berth, wondering why she did this to herself. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flicker of light appear in the dungeon's hallway. To her surprise, a portal opened up, and an army of pale warriors rushed into the dungeon, slaughtering the guards.

One of the warriors, dressed in heavy armor, gave a quick glance to Circi before joining his comrades. Circi grabbed one of her books, laid down on her berth, and looked at the invaders one last time. "You'll want to take the stairs on the _left_." The warriors looked back at her. "Just a suggestion."

It didn't take long for the Dark Elves to storm Asgard's cities. The Amazons and Asgardian warriors protected the citizens from the carnage, but the Elves never let up. Diana, Baldur, and John were soon alerted of the attack. Realizing that they were here for the Ring, they took evasive action. Baldur promised to safeguard John while Diana summoned Mjolnir and took off into the battle.

Donna was enjoying herself, immensely, slicing through the Dark Elves as if they were paper. Lady Sif, the Warriors Three, Artemis, Nubia, and even Heimdall soon joined her. But the citizens of Asgard were terrified as the streets erupted into flames. The Elves attacked everyone in their path, slaughtering the denizens in their homes and burning them to the ground. Lady Sif found Donna and began to help. But only when Diana arrived, did they feel relieved.

Thunder Woman landed in the center of the army and summoned a maelstrom from her hammer. The storm cloud hovered over the Elves, rumbling ominously as flashes of light cackled around. Thunder Woman slammed her hammer on the ground, and lightning rained down on the pale invaders. Afterwards, she continued to strike them independently, taking notice of strange markings on their outfits, similar to the ones associated with the Enchantress. However, Diana also noticed that the attackers were not making an attempt to capture the Capitol nor the treasury. Then it hit her; the attack was a strategic diversion. She left the battlefield and flew off to the palace.

* * *

"Major Foster, no matter what may happen, you must _stay behind me_." Baldur instructed. The sound of impending doom in the form of footsteps came from beyond the grand hall. The god of light drew his sword and stepped in front of his sister's lover. Seven Dark Elves broke the door down and surrounded Baldur. "Oh, _dear_ …" He sighed sarcastically. "What _ever_ shall I do?" With one swift motion, Baldur decapitated the seven intruders. Unfortunately, he didn't see the seven-foot, armored Elf that punched him into the wall.

The Executioner opened a scroll, read it out loud, and stomped over towards John, who drew his pistol and prepared to fire. But Baldur leapt back onto his feet and blocked the towering Elf's hand with his blade. "You're _big_ …" He breathed as he pushed Executioner back. "But I've fought _bigger_." Baldur kept the armored goliath at bay, unaware of the slender queen making her way towards the wearer of the Space Ring. Malaketh inched ever closer to John, keeping her watch on the fight taking place before her. She was so close to finally achieving her goal, her mouth began to water with anticipation. By the time John saw her, it was too late.

"At _last,_ it is _mine!_ " She swiped at John's hand, and passed right through him. "What?!"

"You've _failed_ …" Baldur smiled and snapped his fingers, making the illusion disappear. Queen Le'Fay screamed out in rage, then looked at Baldur. The fight with the Executioner had knocked off much of his armor, leaving his chest exposed. Executioner held him still, and Le'Fay ran him through with his own sword.

" _NO!_ " Le'Fay turned her head, and bolts of lightning burned the flesh on her face. Executioner picked up his queen and carried her out of the palace back into the portal. Diana knelt down beside her brother and cried in agony as she crested his lifeless hand. Odin, Hippolyta, and John came out from their hiding place and joined Diana in her grieving.

When nighttime came, all of Asgard gathered at the gates to mourn their fallen brothers and sisters. Artemis, herself, fired the flaming arrows at each of the ships carrying the fallen. John felt guilty for attracting the army here, even though no one seemed to hold anything against him. Diana held his hand in gratitude as they watched the souls of her friends ascend into Valhalla.

After the ceremony had ended, Diana sent one of the guards down to the dungeon. He made his way past the rubble and over to Circi's prison. Once she acknowledged his presence, he informed her that Prince Baldur the Brave had been slain in combat. She nodded her head in understanding, and the guard left. Once she was sure that he was gone, Circi got up from her berth, paced around her cell, and with an outraged cry, set her entire collection of books aflame.

Many hours later, Odin had declared that in order to remove the Space Ring from John Foster, they would have to keep him in Asgard wait and until its power had completely destroyed his body. After his material form had wasted away, they would return the Ring to Limbo and prevent it from ever falling into the wrong hands again. Diana strongly protested against her father, but his grief was too strong for him to listen. He had made his decision.

But Diana also made hers.

* * *

"My friends, we _all_ seek vengeance for what the Dark Elves have done to our brothers and sisters…" Diana gathered her warriors and John in a private meeting and spoke of her plan. "If you agree, and we are discovered, you will be branded as _traitors_ to the throne of Asgard. But if my plan works, we can stop Malaketh once and for all."

"What is your plan, sister?" Donna asked.

"Donna, you will go to Earth and search for Minerva the Enchantress. I believe she may be connected to this in some way. Find her, and whatever she is about to do, _stop her_."

"Aye." Donna took her axe and flew off to Earth.

"Now, I shall take John and hopefully we can use the Space Ring to enter Darkworld. Malaketh possesses the magic needed to remove the Ring and save his life. Once she has removed it, I shall kill her."

"But how will you be able to use the Space Ring? You have no knowledge of magic."

"Which is why, Artemis, I shall have to make a bargain with the greatest sorceress in all of Asgard." Diana stood up from the table and went down to the dungeon. "Circi…"

"Hello, _clay-born_." The goddess said as she paced around her cell. "Have you come to gloat? To boast of your victory against me, yet again?"

"Circi, _enough_. No more illusions." Diana said sternly. The image faded away, allowing Diana to see her sister; laying on the ground, broken and depressed, the stains of tears still upon her face.

"Now you see me, sister…" she said quietly. "Did he suffer?"

"I am offering you a chance at revenge, Circi."

Circi laughed lightly and got rose to her knees. "How _desperate_ are you that you would come to _me_ for help?"

"We both loved Baldur, sister. I need your magic to get us into Darkworld and save John. And in return, I will let you deliver the killing blow to Le'Fay. But if you betray me, I _will_ kill you."

"When do we start?" Circi smiled.

The warriors gathered around Diana, Circi, and John. They promised to keep their work a secret until they returned. Diana thanked them and held John's hand. Circi's eyes sparkled as she moved her hands around the Space Ring. Using her vast knowledge of the mystic arts, she conjured a spell that interacted with the energies of the Ring. Red energy circled around them as the goddess of evil spoke the incantation, and the Space Ring teleported them to Darkworld. The strain caused John to collapse, and Diana held him in her arms.

"Well, we're _here_ …" Circi smiled in amazement. Darkworld was desolate and empty, with only a few glimpses of light allowing the trio to see.

"Yes…" Diana spotted a palace made of black diamonds. "Now the hard part begins."

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Kurse the Executioner(Kurse/the Annihilator)**


	28. Dawn of the Dark Elves part 3

**Chapter XII: Dawn of the Dark Elves! Part 3**

 **Darkworld**

Diana was very worried. John's condition was growing worse with every passing second; if they didn't remove the Space Ring from his finger soon, he wouldn't be going home. She looked back up to see the distance they had traveled, trying to see if they were close enough to create a beacon. She decided to stop now and check on her old friend.

"John… please, just _stay awake_." She laid him down and rested his head on her lap. He moaned and forced his eyes open. "That's right… it won't be long now…" she sighed in relief. Circi huffed indignantly.

"You'll never be _happy_ if you keep that up…" Diana looked up at her adoptive sister. "His life will end _one way_ or _another_. And when it does, it will bring you only heartbreak."

"I just lost my _brother_ , Circi…" Diana stood up to meet her eyes. "I _refuse_ to do nothing while the man I lo-… _care about_ … is dying."

" _Your_ brother?" Circi's face twisted into a loathsome sneer.

" _Our_ brother, Circi…" Diana corrected. "You may have had his _tricks_ but I had his _trust_."

" _Trust?!_ " the goddess of evil snapped. "Is that what he felt when you _failed_ to save him?"

"I didn't see _you_ trying to help when the Dark Elves invaded Asgard!" Now Diana was growing angered.

"No, I was _locked away_ in the dungeon. And who put me there, eh? _Who put me there?!_ "

"You _know_ who!" Diana grabbed Circi by the scruff of her neck and lifted her into the air. "You know, _damn well_ , who!" For a moment, all Diana could do was stare into the cold, calculating eyes of her little sister. Memories of the two of them playing in the palace's hallways came rushing back to the goddess of thunder. Diana released her grip on Circi and wiped her eyes. "Baldur wouldn't want us to _fight_."

"Well, he wouldn't exactly be _shocked_." Circi grunted as her sister checked on the mortal.

By now, John was regaining most of his strength. He forced himself up onto his feet and held onto Diana for support. Once Thunder Woman was sure that the Major was fine, she lifted Mjolnir above her head and sent surges of powerful lightning high into the sky. Inside the castle of black diamonds, Kurse the Executioner showed his scarred queen the beacon of dancing light. It didn't take long for Le'Fay to gather a small platoon. She placed a gilded mask over her charred face and joined her minions in following the beacon.

"Diana, please, at least give me a _knife_." Circi pleaded as the Dark Elves drew closer. "Don't you trust me?"

"Would you?" Diana snorted. Circi's glance fell upon the knife in Major Foster's boot. She turned back to face the impending army of pale warriors, and smiled.

"Actually… _no._ " Circi used her magic to yank the knife from Foster's boot and transformed it into a sword. "I _wouldn't!_ " She sliced at Thunder Woman's wrist, severing the hand that held Mjolnir. John gasped as Diana fell to her knees in pain, while the mighty hammer tumbled down the hill. "Mindless fool!" Circi kicked Thunder Woman down the hill, grabbed Foster by his neck, and stomped after her sister. "Did you really think I cared about Baldur?! Or saving Asgard?! Or _you?!_ "

"You heartless bitch!" John tried to hit her, but Circi soon had him on his knees as well. Queen Le'Fay and Kurse had finally arrived, and when they saw Thunder Woman they were both highly impressed. Kurse knelt down to try and lift Mjolnir, but gave up after it wouldn't budge.

"Who are you, young sorceress?" Le'Fay asked.

"I am Circi, Goddess of Evil!" She said, proudly. "I have come to offer you a bargain, Queen Malaketh Le'Fay…"

"My queen…" Kurse spoke up. "I recognize this woman; she was a prisoner in Asgard's dungeon. She is an _enemy_ of the Thunder Woman. We can trust her."

"What is your bargain, Circi?"

"I present to you, that which you have long desired…" Circi held up Foster's hand, revealing the Space Ring. "My only request is that you leave this mortal alive long enough for _me_ to kill him in front of Thunder Woman."

Le'Fay stepped closer to Circi and her captives. Diana's left hand was gripping the stub where her right hand had been, trying to ease the pain. John kept squirming in Circi's grip, but couldn't break free. Queen Le'Fay smiled confidently, there was no threat here.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, Back on Earth**

Delta-Ray Donna found the Enchantress in London. The witch had broken into a cathedral, murdered the priest and all the deacons, and used their blood to paint more symbols everywhere. Normally, she would want to smash Minerva's head in with her axe, but ever since her first encounter with Major Foster she was trying her best to keep collateral damage down to a minimum. Instead, she hid behind one of the church's pillars and silently observed her progress.

Murmuring an Aztec incantation, Minerva created a window-portal to Darkworld, allowing her to see through the Multiverse, but not pierce it. To Donna's horror, Le'Fay was using her enhanced magic to harness the Space Ring. Major Foster was lifted high into the air as the red energy began to surround his body once again. But this time, his arm extended outward, and the Ring began to gently slide off of his finger. At last, john fell to the ground, and the Space Ring was finally in the Dark Queen's possession. Circi smiled brightly as Le'Fay marveled at her new weapon before turning to the scorned goddess.

"I must admit, Circi, I was worried…" Le'Fay's voice was calm and soothing. "This has been a day for tricks and losses, for a moment I believed you would _betray_ me."

"Me?" Circi's smile grew brighter still. "I am _purely_ _dishonest_ … and a _dishonest_ woman can _always_ be trusted to be dishonest. _Honestly_ …" Circi placed both hands on Foster's shoulders and looked to her sister. "It is the _honest_ woman you must be mindful of. For you may never know when _that_ woman will do something _completely,_ and _utterly_ … stupid." Circi's smile disappeared, and with a wave of her hand, she restored Diana's. Thunder Woman summoned Mjolnir to her side, and knocked Malaketh away from the Space Ring.

Enchantress saw everything, and she was worried. Focusing all of her strength on the Space Ring, she enhanced the window- portal so that anyone could cross over from Darkworld. That was Donna's cue to engage the witch. Enchantress was startled, but held her ground. Ancient weapons appeared out of thin air, and Minerva used them to protect herself from Donna's axe. But the Corbanite had a plan: so far as she knew, Minerva was the only mortal who could contact Darkworld; therefore if Donna were to banish her, Darkworld could never contact the mortal plane again. She blocked Minerva's strike, twisted on her heels, and kicked the Enchantress directly at the portal.

And then she bounced off of it.

"Oh, I'm _sorry_ …" Minerva laughed. "Were you trying to send me away? Nice try, young thunder, but _this_ portal is a _one way only_. There is _nothing_ you can do to _stop me!_ "

"Is that _so…?_ " Donna gripped her weapon and threw it at the Enchantress. Minerva's laughter quickly ended once Stormbreaker passed through her and lodged itself into the wall behind her. One of the biggest differences between Stormbreaker and Mjolnir that many overlooked was that Stormbreaker was an axe. Minerva's head rolled off of her shoulders, followed by the rest of her lifeless body Donna looked through the portal to see how the others were doing.

* * *

Thunder Woman, Kurse, and the entire Dark Elf army were now locked in an intense battle. Diana's power and battle prowess helped her make short work of the Dark Elves, but Kurse was an entirely different story. Neither of the two combatants were able to land a killing blow, and each strike and every punch echoed throughout the dark realm. The Annihilator's armor proved to be very durable against Mjolnir's lightning, but that didn't affect Thunder Woman's resolve.

Circi, on the other hand, was doing her best to keep Foster safe from Le'Fay's wrath. "I was _right!_ " the Dark Queen seethed with rage. "I should have _trusted_ my instincts! You _betrayed_ me!"

"No…" Circi held her sword tightly in her grip. "I betrayed _Baldur_." The Asgardian sorceress charged at Malaketh and attacked with everything she had. The slender trickster managed to dodge most of Le'Fay's blows, but it wasn't enough. Le'Fay quickly took the upper hand and held her own sword's tip at Circi's throat.

"Then you will _die_ as a traitor to him." But before Le'Fay could thrust, a loud crack rang out through the air. Circi looked up to see a round hole in Malaketh's mask, and a steady stream of blood quickly flooded out over it. In all the excitement, John Foster had forgotten about his gun.

"NOOOOOOO!" Kurse swatted Thunder Woman away and charged at John with his sword. John opened fire, hitting the Annihilator with everything he had left in his gun. When the gun was empty, and Kurse still stormed towards him, John closed his eyes and prayed that Stacy would be okay. But to his surprise, Circi jumped in front of him, allowing Kurse's blade to pierce her instead. Choking and gagging, the goddess of evil was lifted up into the air, and Diana was frozen with shock. Kurse looked at Circi with a mixture of annoyance and pity. "Foolish _wretch_."

"Bumbling _oaf_ …" Circi snarled and jammed her sword into Kurse's exposed neck. "See you in _Hel_ , monster…" Diana sent hundreds of lightning bolts into the blade, which in turn electrocuted Kurse's entire body until his life-force was gone. Diana rushed over to Circi and pulled the sword out of her. John saw Donna through the portal and yelled for his friend to hurry. Thunder Woman grabbed the Space Ring, lifted Circi and John over her shoulders, and with a desperate leap, they made it through the portal back to Earth.

"Circi, you _fool!_ " Diana sobbed. "You _damned_ fool!"

"Y-you're right…" Circi gasped. "I _was_ a fool…"

"I'll tell father and mother what you did today…"

"I didn't… do it for _them_ , sister…" Circi's last breath left her lungs and Diana sadly cradled her in her arms.

* * *

 **Three Hours Later**

John saw to it that Minerva's body was taken into custody to be properly laid to rest. Once all the paper work was finished and he changed out of his uniform, he headed back to Seattle for a long vacation with his sister. Diana and Donna returned to Asgard with Circi and handed her over to one of the guards. Donna went to tell her friends of their victory while Diana made her way into the throne room. She knelt before her parents, presented the Space Ring, and told them everything.

"So… you and Circi _both_ committed treason against the throne of Asgard?" Odin spoke softly.

"Circi _died_ with honor, father." Diana tried to maintain her stature. "I only wish that she be remembered for it." Odin nodded in agreement, but Hippolyta was confused.

"There is something _else_ on your mind, daughter?"

"I cannot accept the throne of Asgard as my future." Diana stood confidently. "Fighting Malaketh, saving John, returning the Space Ring… _that_ is what I _truly_ live for. I want to help _a few directly_ rather than lead _thousands atop a throne_. I wish to _live_ , to _laugh_ , to _love_ … as I _want_ to."

"One daughter who wanted the throne _too much_ , another who does not want it _at all_ , and a son who perished in _battle_. Is _this_ meant to be my legacy?" Odin sighed deeply. "As your king, I cannot give you permission nor my _blessing_ … but as your _father_ , I wish you the best of luck."

Diana smiled, ran up to the duel thrones, and hugged her parents lovingly. She swung Mjolnir and flew back to Earth, landing in Seattle, Washington. She struck the ground with her enchanted hammer and reverted back to Diana Blake. Making her way to the city streets, she hailed a cab and asked to be taken to Gateway Street.

Once she arrived at Stacy's house, she knocked on the door and waited patiently for someone to answer. "Hey, Diana…" John was surprised to see her again so soon. Nothing was said for what felt like an eternity, they both simply stared into each other's eyes. "Is everything okay?" he asked at last, taking her hand in his own. At last, she pulled him into a soft kiss, and for the first time in years, they both felt complete.

* * *

 **Epilogue:**

Back on Asgard, Hippolyta had finished crafting the container for the Space Ring when a guard walked into her room. "You summoned me, my queen?" he bowed respectfully as she handed him the container.

"Has Circi's body been laid to rest?"

"Yes, your majesty."

"Thank you… take this and place it in the treasury. It will be safe there until I can contact Larfleeze Tivan."

"The Collector, my queen?" the guard tilted his head in confusion. "Why would we want to contact such a _loathsome_ creature?"

"The Cosmic Cube is already in Asgard's treasury; Lord Odin and I thought it not _wise_ to keep two Infinity Rings so close together."

"As you wish, my queen."

"Thank you…" Hippolyta smiled and wandered off to contact the Collector. Once she was gone, the guard smiled and his appearance began to change. Circi made her way down to the treasury and found the Cosmic Cube. " _No_ , mother…" She laughed to herself as she held the Infinity Rings in her palms. "Thank _you_ …" With a snap of her fingers, the goddess of evil teleported to the Realm of Fallen Gods to present her gifts to Darkanos.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Larfleeze Tivan(The Collector/Larfleeze)**

* * *

 **The following preview of the next chapter has been approved for appropriate readers (by me…) read at your own risk**

"We arrested these five on Zandoa; look at their rap-sheets… _Krinn,_ aka the Kosmic Krusher. Last survivor of the planet Braal. Since his wife and daughter were murdered by the Kree terrorist, Kronan, he's been on a rampage looking for justice. Wanted for over two hundred counts of first-degree murder and GBH. _Tyamorra._ Adopted daughter of the fallen god, Darkanos. Wanted for multiple counts assassination. _Subject V-938_ , calls itself 'Violet.' Product of illegal experimentation on lower life-forms. Wanted for thirty counts of grand-theft and escape from custody."

"What the hell?"

" _Thom Vell_. Last descendant in a long line of Star-Martyrs. Because of his mental disabilities, he's been manipulated by V-938 into being her personal muscle. Wanted for three counts of GBH. _Peter Jason Ranzz_. He's also known as 'Lightning-Lord…'"

"Who calls him that?"

" _Himself_ , mostly. Wanted for multiple counts of petty theft, public intoxication, and _fraud_ … they call themselves the _Legends of the Galaxy_."

"What a bunch of A-holes…"


	29. We're Not Heroes Prelude

**Chapter XIII: We're Not Heroes, We're Something Else! Prelude**

 **Metropia, New York**

"You're _kidding_ , Steve…?" Kent Milton was surprised by his oldest friend's words.

"I'm _serious_ , Kent." Steve wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders. "Sharon and I got _hitched_." After Hyperman had returned from his latest adventure in space, he spent most of the day catching up on work. The hardest part was trying to explain to W. Walter White why he had gone missing for an entire week, but he was able to pass it off as a sick relative. Now that the workday was over, he and his girlfriend invited Steve and Sharon over for coffee. Just then, the door to the apartment opened up, and the last daughter of Radon stepped inside.

"-en I'm not with you I _lose my mind_. Give me a _sign._ _Hit me, baby, one more time!_ Hey, Kent, can I borrow twenty bucks for-oh! Hi, Captain Allen. Hi, Agent West. What are you two doing here?" Karen Danvers removed her ear buds, threw her back pack on the couch, and slumped down next to her cousin. But before either of the guests could answer, Karen spotted the matching rings on their fingers. The teenager's mouth twisted into a toothy grin and a high-pitched squeal erupted from her throat. "YOU GUYS GOT MARRIED?! That is so great! I am _so_ _happy_ for you!"

" _Easy_ , Karen!" Lois chuckled. "Don't you think your cousin's suffered _enough_ this past week without you trying to _deafen_ him?"

"Oh, _right_ … sorry, Ms. Brant." Karen smiled, sheepishly and calmed down.

"By the way, thank you, _again_ , Lois, for helping me sort things out with Walter."

"No problem, Littlesberg." Lois leaned over and gave Kent a peck on the cheek. "Anything to make sure nobody finds out about the other part of your life."

Karen's eyes widened with shock. "Uh… you mean, the other part of his life where he spends time trying to regain custody of his family farm?"

"I mean how he _fights crime_." Lois corrected, nonchalantly.

Karen's eyes grew wider still. "You mean how he fights crime with his _investigative journalism?_ " Steve and Sharon giggled to themselves as the teen desperately tried to protect her cousin's secret.

"Karen?" Kent said at last.

"Yeah?"

"She _knows_."

"She _knows?!_ " Karen's jaw hung open as she looked back at the raven-haired journalist.

"No offense, kid…" Lois smiled smugly. "but a pair of glasses and a clumsy personality aren't quite enough to fool _me_. Hyperman starts acting all cheerful and happy again after _seventy years_ of non-stop _gloom_ and _doom_ , and at the same time, Kent Milton the _third_ , who _just happens_ to look _exactly_ like his granddad, shows up? I don't _think so_."

"And _why_ didn't you think to tell me this?" Karen pointed an aggravated finger at Kent.

"Hoo-boy, you're in more trouble than back in '41, Kent." Steve chuckled as he sipped more of his coffee.

"Are you _ever_ going to let me live that down?" Kent sighed.

"What happened in 1941?" Sharon and Lois asked, simultaneously.

"I came _this close_ to killing Hyperman." Steve boasted.

"Oh, _please_ , I _let_ you win." Kent crossed his arms. Steve and Kent told the group about how The Flag and Hyperman came to blows over differing views of how the two super-beings used their powers. Hyperman was ordered to stay behind and protect the home front while Flag was over-seas. Occasionally, Flag would rush over the Atlantic to check on Brooklyn, himself, feeling that he still had a responsibility to protect his home. Hyperman saw it as disobeying orders from the president and tried to stop him. Maxwell Von Havoc, Sr., took advantage of their conflict and attempted to make an alliance with the Nazis. Luckily, Hyperman and the Flag settled their differences just in time to stop him.

"Hey, wait a minute…" Steve's eyebrows knitted together. "What did Lois mean by _'grief'?_ What _happened_ to you last week, Kent?"

"Y'know, actually, you never told _me_ , either?" Karen added. By now, all eyes were on Metropia's Champion. Kent took a deep breath and began to tell the tale.

"Well, it all started on the edge of _Andromeda_ …"

* * *

 **One Week Earlier…**

"Before we leave, Hyperman, I would like to thank you, again, for saving my crew earlier." Captain Grim Smirk shook the Radonian's hand firmly.

"Glad I could help, Captain." Hyperman smiled before flying away from the spaceport. He was just about to head home when his telescopic-vision alerted him that a meteor shower was about to strike an inhabited colony. Without hesitation, Hyperman rushed past the meteors and his eyes began to glow bright-red. Using his heat-vision, Hyperman blasted the meteors, reducing them to harmless rubble. Unknown to him, the last meteor's air pockets were filled with deadly nitrogen. Once his heat-vision struck the space debris, the explosion sent him flying far out into deep space. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was a bright blue light.

Hours later, Hyperman woke up to find himself trapped in a cubic, glass cage. Placing his hand against the glass, he saw other aliens being held in cages, all of which looked miserable. He tried to break the glass, but his punches were completely ineffective.

"Don't bother, Radonian." A blue-skinned alien dressed in a ragged, white dress stepped forth from the shadows. "This cage is lined with just the right amounts of radonite. It won't _kill_ you, but you won't be able to _escape_ anytime soon." The alien walked off, leaving Hyperman alone only for a brief moment. When she came back, she was accompanied by another alien with a long snout, covered from head-to-toe in fur, and wearing a flamboyant suit.

"Kalerina, I thought I told you that I am _not_ interested in adding any more _humanoids_ to my collection…"

"I understand, Master Tivan…" she said with fearful respect. "But _this_ is no mere _humanoid_ … every test I have at my disposal proves that _this specimen_ is a pure-blooded _Radonian_."

"A _Radonian?_ " Tivan looked at Hyperman with interest. "I thought they were all _extinct_."

"As did the _rest of the galaxy_ , my master." The alien woman smiled desperately. " _Now_ , may I go free, Master Tivan?"

Tivan chuckled cruelly. " _No_ , my dear. You still have _many years_ of service ahead of you before I can let you go."

"But you said-"

" _Need_ I remind you what happened to the _last assistant_ who disappointed me?" Tivan pointed towards a glass case that held another female alien.

"N-no, my master…" she hung her head in defeat. Hyperman felt a great swell of sympathy for the poor woman. Tivan dismissed his slave and returned his attention to the Man of Tomorrow. His eyes fell upon the proud crest of his costume, and he quickly took out a device that scanned the Radonian symbol.

" _Well, well, well_ …" He smiled at the data before him. "According to this, you are _Kal-Ran_ , son of _Jor-Ran and Lara_. How does that _feel?_ Being the only survivor of you world? Do you think that if your parents could see you now, they would be _proud_ of you?" When Hyperman refused to answer, Tivan snorted rudely and walked away. " _This_ is the fate of Radon's last son… and there is _no one_ to save him."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the quadrant, a Tamaranean ship dubbed "The Milano," made it's was to an abandoned colony planet. Once it touched down, a human man stepped out onto the wet soil and pulled a strange device out of his knapsack. The machine was low on power, so the man took off his glove and generated enough electricity from his body to restore its power. According to the device, his treasure was hidden in a worn down building just three klicks ahead of him. After a short walk, he removed his mask and placed headphones over his ears.

His name was Peter "Lightning-Lord" Ranzz. And he was going to find his riches while jamming to Redbone.

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Lois Brant(Betty Brant/Lois Lane)**

 **Lightning-Lord aka Peter Ranzz(Star-Lord/Lightning Lad)**

 **I know this is a pretty short chapter, but in my defense, most preludes are! Next chapter will be much longer, I promise! I just… wow… seriously, I've been writing this particular story for a** _ **whole year now**_ **. This is the longest I've ever stuck with one of my stories on this site! I'd like to thank my friend Flautist4Ever who has had my back almost since I started on this site. Special thanks to Lucas FTW, TheMcCoy, and halothair for following and favoriting this story. Let's see just how far I go with this one, guys!**

 **OH! One more thing; if you'd like to see a filler chapter later on that will go into more detail about Hyperman and Flag's confrontation, let me know in the reviews!**


	30. We're Not Heroes part 1

**Chapter XIII: We're Not Heroes, We're Something Else! Part 1**

 **Planet Zorrad, Abandoned Colony**

As soon as his song ended, Ranzz reached into his knapsack and removed a light-sphere. The sphere illuminated the entire room, and Ranzz's eyes fell upon an orb hovering over a cylindrical pillar. All he had to do was bring the orb back to Zandoa and sell it to the Broker for a hefty price. He set the light sphere on the ground and gingerly grabbed the orb. It was all going swimmingly until he turned around to see three Sakarian manhunters aiming their weapons at him.

"Drop it!" the lead manhunter snapped. Ranzz did as he was instructed and fearfully lifted his arms in the air. The robotic enforcer picked up the orb before turning back to Ranzz. "Who are you?! And how do you know about this?!"

"M-my name is Peter Ranzz!" he responded as the other two manhunters surrounded him. "And, _look_ , I don't even know _what_ that thing _is_ , okay! I'm just a _junker!_ "

"You don't look like a junker, you're wearing Tamaranean garb!"

"This is just an outfit I found!" Ranzz was interrupted by a jab from one of the manhunters. "Tin Man, you _better_ stop poking me!"

"Bring him… Kronan may have questions for him…" As the manhunters led him out of the building, Ranzz spoke up.

"Hey, wait! Y'know, there's _another name_ you may know me by…" The metal men stopped in their tracks to give Ranzz their full attention. The thief smiled confidently and addressed himself. " _Lightning-Lord_ …"

"… _who?_ " the manhunter looked confused.

" _Lightning-Lord_ , man!" Ranzz sounded disappointed. "The legendary outlaw? You've heard of me, right, guys?" The other manhunters just shrugged at each other. " _Forget it_ …" Ranzz sighed as he grabbed both robots. Generating powerful surges of electricity from his own body, he fried the robots' circuitry, and they fell to the ground. Then, he reached for his laser-gun and blaster the third manhunter directly in the chest. The orb flew into the air, and Ranzz caught it with ease. Unfortunately, the manhunter quickly got back on his feet.

Ranzz jumped over the manhunter, reactivated his space-mask, and sprinted towards his ship. The robot was hot on his trail, firing his plasma-rifle in a blind fury. "All _this_ , for a stupid _orb?_ " Ranzz thought to himself. At last, he reached his ship, hopped into the cab, and pushed the thrusters to their maximum speed. Once he was out of the planet's atmosphere, he looked back to see that he was in the clear.

"Peter?" Ranzz aimed his gun at a half-naked, pink-skinned alien. "What the _hell_ is going on?"

"Oh, hey! Uh…" Ranzz snapped his fingers, trying to remember her name.

"Bareet." She said.

" _Bareet!_ " Ranzz smiled awkwardly. "Look, I'm gonna be completely honest; I forgot you were here." After an uncomfortable break-up, Ranzz agreed to take Bareet with him to Zandoa and give her enough money to ride home. While setting the coordinates for their destination, Ranzz viewed the inter-galactic newsfeed about the recent peace treaty between the Kree Empire and Zandoa's capitol.

"Peter, you have a call…" He turned his head to see Bareet was about to answer a call from Kori Udonta.

"Oh, shit! No, no, no! No, I don't!" Ranzz fell out of his seat and tried to stop her from answering.

"Ranzz!" An angry female with orange skin and a purple mohawk appeared on the holo-screen. Judging from the look on Peter's face, Bareet felt as if she made a mistake.

"Hey, Kori!" Peter smiled sheepishly. "How ya doin'?"

"I'm here with _everybody else_ on Zorrad! The orb isn't here, and neither are _you!_ "

"Well, I was in the sector, so, I thought maybe I'd save you the trouble…" He shrugged.

"What are your coordinates? Where are you going?"

"Okay, I feel _really bad_ about this, but I'm _not_ going to tell you that."

"I _slaved_ to get that information, you ungrateful-!"

"' _Slaved?'_ Really? Making a few phone calls is 'slaving?'"

"We don't _do that_ to _each other!_ We are Tamaraneans, we have a _code!_ "

"Yeah, and that code is; _steal_ from _everyone!_ "

"When I picked you up as a kid on Earth…" Ranzz scoffed as his boss repeated her usual rant. "These boys and girls wanted to _eat you!_ They've never tasted _muta-human_ before. I stopped them! YOU'RE ALIVE BECAUSE OF ME!" Ranzz ended the call and Kori Udonta yelled in frustration before turning back to her fellow Tamaraneans. "Put a bounty on him. Forty-thousand. But I want him back _alive_."

" _Alive?!_ "

"That's what I said!" Kori snapped back at her crewman.

"I told you from the very beginning that we should've delivered him like we were hired to do!" her partner wasn't backing down. "You have _always_ been soft on him since-!"

" _You're_ the only one I'm being soft on!" Kori grabbed him by the throat and brushed her jacket back, revealing the telekinetic arrow by her waist. "Now… you boys and girls don't have to _worry_ about Mr. Ranzz. As soon as we get him back, I'm going to kill him _myself_." She let go of her crewmate and addressed the others in the crowd. "What we _do_ need to worry about is who else wants that orb!"

* * *

 **Deep Space. The Black Riot.**

Kronan the Accuser had been considered a terrorist by the Green Nova Corps. He had enslaved ten star-systems and decimated countless others. His goal was to completely enslave the galaxy and force it into obeying the ancient laws of the Kree. Recently, he had made a pact with the fallen god, Darkanos. If he could deliver to the fallen god the orb from Zorrad, Darkanos would destroy Zandoa for him, leaving him free to conquer without worrying about the Green Nova Corps, altogether. Darkanos had even placed two of his adopted daughters, Black Nebula and Tyamorra, under his command. Kronan considered it to be an easy deal. But his lead manhunter had returned with bad news.

"The thief calls himself Lightning-Lord! He has the orb and is, no doubt, on his way to sell it to some merchant!"

Kronan rose from his throne and turned to the cyborg-speedster. "Black Nebula, you will track this… _Lightning-Lord_ , and deliver the orb to me."

" _I_ should go…" Tyamorra stepped up. "Nebula's speed is no match for my _tracking abilities_."

Kronan raised a suspicious eyebrow before dismissing Black Nebula. "Very well… but I warn you only _once;_ do not _fail_ me."

"Have I ever?"

* * *

 **Zandoa, Capitol of the Galaxy.**

"Zandoians… all of 'em in a _big hurry_ to get from somethin' _stupid_ to _nothin' at all_." A short, furry woman held up her holo-pad, looking for potential bounties. Instead, all she found were a bunch of worthless citizens going about their daily business. "Look at _this douche_. Can you believe they got the nerve to call _us_ criminals when he's assaulting us with that _haircut?_ What is _this!_ Look how it thinks it's so cool! It's not cool to get help, walk by yerself! Ha ha! Am I right, Thom? Thom?"

The woman looked around until she finally saw her companion. The tall Star-Martyr was using his power over gravity to lift small children into the air. As the kids giggled happily, Thom Vell's black suit twinkled brightly to show his mutual joy. Unfortunately, the children's parents showed up to take them home, and Thom went back to his partner.

"Home many times have I told ya, yer supposed to be a _professional_ , ya moron! Don't play with little kids! It's _weird!_ " Violet scolded Thom, who shook his head in defense. " _Yes, you did!_ I just _saw_ you! Why ya lying?" Suddenly, Violet's holo-pad detected a potential target. She scanned the fiery-haired human to see how much he was worth. "Forty-thousand units?! Thom, we're gonna be _rich!_ "

Peter Ranzz stepped into the Broker's office, removing the orb from his knapsack and placed it on the desk. "Greetings, Mr. Ranzz…" The businessman said without looking up.

"Nice to see you, too, Broker." Ranzz smiled. "The orb… as _promised_."

"Where is Kori?"

"She wanted to be here, but she got held up." He lied. "So what is it?"

"It is my policy to never speak of my clients' business." Broker still wouldn't make eye contact.

"Yeah, well I almost _died_ getting it for you." Ranzz said sternly.

"Occupational hazards, I'm sure…"

"Some metal head had it in for me… working for some guy named Kronan."

"Kronan?" Broker finally looked at the Tamaranean and moved out from behind his desk. He handed the orb back to Ranzz and began to push him out the door. "Sorry, Mr. Ranzz, I _truly_ am, but I want _no part_ of this transaction if _Kronan_ is involved!"

"Whoa, whoa, _whoa!_ " Ranzz stopped his buyer. "Who's _Kronan?_ "

"A Kree fanatic! Outraged by the peace treaty! Who will not rest until Zandoian culture – _my_ culture – is _wiped from existence!_ " The frightened businessman continued to push Ranzz outside. "In other words; someone whose bad side I'd rather not _be on!_ "

"Hold on, what about _my_ bad side?!"

"Good day, Mr. Ranzz!" Broker finally shoved him out of his office and locked the door.

"Hey, we had a _deal_ , bro!" After punching the door, Ranzz walked away, muttering to himself in anger. Just then, he bumped into a beautiful green-skinned woman. She was wearing a white full-body suit with a large chest window, showing off much of her cleavage. She playfully licked a lollipop as Ranzz gazed at her.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Uh, sorry…" Ranzz rubbed his neck, straining to keep looking at her eyes. "It's just, uh, this guy backed out of a deal on me. Kind of a dick-move." Ranzz showed her the orb to demonstrate his predicament. Without warning, she snatched the orb out of his hand and kicked him to the ground. He got up quickly and chased after her. She shifted the density of her body to pass through anything in her way, but Ranzz was closing in on her. He generated a small ball of lightning in his palm and threw it at her. The shock forced her to become solid again and Ranzz tackled her to the ground.

"You shouldn't have done that!" Tyamorra unsheathed her knife and almost stabbed her pursuer when she was tackled by a small furry woman.

"Put him in the bag! Get him, Thom!" Violet shouted as her partner made Tyamorra levitate towards the burlap sack. "No, not _her_ … _him!_ Learn _genders_ , ya moron!" Tyamorra threw Violet off of her and sliced at Thom's chest. Ranzz took her distraction as an opportunity to hit the orb over her head, knocking the assassin out cold. But before he could escape, a bright green glow surrounded the four criminals. One of the Green Novas took off his helmet when he saw Ranzz.

"Well, well, well…" He smirked. "If it isn't Lightning-Lad!"

"Lightning- _Lord_ …" Ranzz corrected irritably.

"Oh, sorry, _Lord_."

"You recognize this man, Nova Alexander?" Another officer asked.

"Yeah, I arrested him a few years ago for embezzlement. He's got a code-name."

"C'mon, Kyle…" Ranzz groaned. "It's not a code-name, it's an _outlaw-name_."

"Hey, only my _friends_ call me Kyle…" The Nova officers led their prisoners away to be processed.

* * *

 **Zandoa Capitol**

Guardian Prime was in a foul mood. A few moments ago, she had made an attempt to talk the Kree Emperor into finding a way to stop Kronan from attacking any more planets. The Emperor bluntly refused, stating that the peace treaty should have been more than enough to satisfy Zandoa's government. Without any help, defeating Kronan would be much more difficult.

"Guardian Prime." Kyle Alexander brought her out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry if I interrupted you, but I thought you might like to know that we've apprehended one of Kronan's enforcers."

A few minutes later, Kyle Alexander stood beside his Prime officer, reviewing the criminals' back stories. The first was the green-skinned murderess.

"Tyamorra. Adopted daughter of the fallen god, Darkanos. Surgically modified to be the ultimate assassin. Recently, Darkanos has lent her and her sister, Black Nebula, to Kronan, leading us to believe that Darkanos and Kronan are working together." Once Tyamorra was led out, the two-foot woman covered in brown fur and an orange dress.

"Subject V-938. Calls itself 'Violet.' Product of illegal experimentation on lower life-forms. Wanted for over thirty counts of grand-theft and escape from lock-up." Violet spat in disgust as she was led out.

"What the hell?" Guardian Prime gasped as a seven-foot man stepped in. He wore a black full-body suit that covered all but his head. A golden cross crested his chest and thousands of twinkling dots covered the rest of his suit. He stared at the officers in confusion, as if he didn't know what he did wrong.

"Thom Vell. Last descendant in a long line of Star-Martyrs. Due to severe mental disabilities, he's been easily manipulated by V-938 into being its personal muscle. Wanted for three counts of GBH." At last, a human wearing a t-shirt, blue jeans, and a purple coat stepped in, holding up his middle finger.

"Peter Jason Ranzz. He's also known as 'Lightning-Lord'…"

"Who calls him that?"

"Himself, mostly. Able to generate powerful surges of electricity from his body, leading us to believe that he possesses a muta-gene. Wanted for petty theft, embezzlement, public intoxication, and fraud."

"What a bunch of assholes…" Kyle chuckled at his leader's assessment. "Have all four shipped away to the Kiln."

* * *

 **The Kiln, Prison Station**

"They call the Kiln the _digestive system_ of the galaxy. No matter how good you are goin' in… you come out _pretty fuckin' bad_." Violet spoke to Ranzz as they were being led to their cells. "But, hey, that ain't _my_ problem! I ain't gonna be here long! I've escaped _twenty-two_ prisons, this one's no different. You're just luck this _broad_ showed up, or else me an' Thom would be deliverin' you to Kori Udonta an' those Tamaraneans, _right now_."

"I've had a lot of folks try to kill me for _years_ ," Ranzz scoffed. "I ain't about to be brought down by a Star-Martyr and a furry munchkin."

"What's a munchkin?"

" _What's a munchkin?_ It's what _you are_ , stupid!" Ranzz turned his attention towards Tyamorra. "So, what exactly is this orb? Seems like a big deal." Thom spoke some unintelligible words as if trying to answer. "Shut up, you! What is it?"

"I don't know…" Tyamorra replied. "I only know that it was my chance to get away from Kronan. I had a deal to sell it to a third party and disappear forever. But now, I'll _never_ get that chance. This prison is _filled_ with people who've lost their families to that zealot… I won't last very long." Thom said something else in a sympathetic tone, but to Ranzz it sounded like gibberish.

"Okay, what is _wrong_ with Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star, here?"

"Well, he ain't really _right-bright_ like you an' me." Violet explained. "So his vocabulary is limited to… whatever the hell _that_ is."

Eventually, the four prisoners reached their cell, listening to the threats of other prisoners. One prisoner, in particular, paid his full attention to Tyamorra. His skin was pitch-black and covered in purple tattoos, his eyes and hair were the exact same shade as his tattoos, and three silver implants occupied his chest cavity. His name was Krinn, and he would soon have words with Kronan's assassin.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Peter Ranzz aka Lightning-Lord(Star-Lord/Lightning Lad)**

 **Tyamorra(Gamora/Phantom Girl)**

 **V-938 aka Violet(Rocket Raccoon/Shrinking Violet)**

 **Thom Vell aka Star-Martyr(Phyla-Vell/Starman)**

 **Krinn aka the Kosmic Krusher(Drax the Destroyer/Cosmic Boy)**

 **Kori Udonta(Yondu Udonta/Starfire)**

 **Kronan the Accuser(Ronan/Krona)**

 **Black Nebula(Nebula/Black Flash)**

 **Green Nova Corps(Nova Corps/Green Lantern Corps)**

 **Kyle Alexander(Sam Alexander/Kyle Rayner)**

 **Guardian Prime(Nova Prime/Ganthet)**


	31. We're Not Heroes part 2

**Chapter XIII: We're Not Heroes, We're Something Else! Part 2**

 **The Forsaken Realm**

After news of Tyamorra's capture had spread across the galaxy, Kronan had been summoned to his new master. The Kree terrorist was certain that Darkanos would be in a foul mood; the betrayal of his daughter would definitely be seen as an embarrassment. And because he was the one in charge of her, Kronan would most likely face the consequences. Black Nebula led her leader to her father's throne room, where both of them bowed in respect before anything was to be said. Darkanos lifted his hand, silently ordering them to rise.

"You have _much_ to answer for, Kree!" Darkanos' shriveled slave snapped.

"With _all due respect_ , Darkanos, your _daughter_ is the one responsible for the orb's capture, and yet you summon me?" Kronan did his best to ignore the slave. Darkanos simply allowed his gaze to roam around the three people gathered before him, resting his chin on his knuckles.

"I would show more _respect_ in my tone, Accuser!" The slave rallied again.

" _First_ she lost a duel with a pathetic muta-human…"

"Tyamorra was placed under _your_ command!"

" _Then_ she was captured by the Green Nova Corps…"

"You are the one with nothing to show for him!"

"Your sources say that she meant to betray us the _whole time!_ "

"Lower your tone! Lest you wish to incur the fallen god's wrath-!" Kronan, angrily, slammed his sledgehammer onto the slave, caving its head into its chest cavity. Once the slave's body slumped to the ground, he returned to Darkanos.

"I only ask that you take this matter _seriously!_ "

Darkanos straightened himself in his throne and shot a menacing glance into Kronan's eyes. "The only matter I _do not_ take seriously, _bastard_ … is _you_ …" Kronan hung his head in shame as the god's words came crashing down on him. "Your politics _bore_ me, your demeanor is that of a _pouty child_ , and evidently… you alienated my favorite daughter, Tyamorra… I will honor our agreement; deliver the orb to me, and I shall destroy Zandoa for you. But return to me _empty handed, again_ …" His eyes began to emit a black energy, as if they were stealing the faint light left in the room. "And my Omega Beams will _bathe_ the stars in your blood…"

"Thanks, Dad… sounds fair enough." Nebula bowed again and zipped back to the Black Riot, leaving behind a trail of red lightning. Kronan marveled at the cybernetic speedster for a moment before following her back to his warship. Darkanos and the Kree shared a final, silent glance before the fallen god was left alone. Or so he thought.

"That went _well_." A red-skinned god, clad in glistening armor stepped out from the shadows and leaned against his king's throne.

"What do you _want_ , Savakkari?" Darkanos' eyes darted at his brother.

"I just thought you'd like to know that we have successfully removed the Reality Ring from the Cosmic Cube. It is now attached to the Infinity Gauntlet with the Space Ring."

"Excellent…" Darkanos' mouth twisted into a smile.

"However… at this rate, it'll be an _eternity_ before we get _the entire set_."

"Which is why I _refused_ to uphold my arrangement with that Greek-Asgardian."

"Would it interest you to know that she is heading to _Olympus?_ "

"No… where she goes now is her own business…"

* * *

 **The Kiln**

Ranzz couldn't sleep. The prison was facing a shortage of containment cells; having most of them being used to hold larger, more dangerous prisoners. As a result, the regular convicts were forced to sleep on the ice-cold floor, constantly watched by the guards. Any prisoners with innate powers wore special inhibitor-collars that prevented them from using them to escape, this added to the immense discomfort the muta-human was struggling with. As he lay wide-awake, he heard a ruckus coming from down the hall. He quietly got up and went to investigate.

"Ranzz…?" Violet woke up when she felt the Tamaranean get up. When she saw him walking down the hall, she almost jumped with fear. "Ranzz!"

Violet found Ranzz hiding behind a doorway to the showers. He was watching a group of prisoners cornering Tyamorra with make-shift knives. Violet gasped in shock as Ranzz prepared to pounce in and save her. If Ranzz died, she'd never collect her bounty!

"Tyamorra!" One prisoner sneered. "Consider this punishment for your _crimes_ against the galaxy!" Just as his blade touched her skin, a strong hand stopped him. "Who _dares_ to-?!" The convicts were frozen in fear as they saw who had intervened. Even Ranzz, Violent, and Tyamorra were shocked at the hulking man who had prevented her death.

"You know who I am, yes…?" His voice rumbled from his throat.

"Y-y-you are _Krinn_ …" the prisoner stammered. They all stepped away from the assassin with pure terror in their eyes. " _The Kosmic Krusher_ …"

"Do you know _why_ I am called this?"

"You've slaughtered _hundreds_ of Kronan's followers…" the prisoners had all gotten down on their knees in submission. Krinn's eyes fell upon the green woman in front of him.

"Kronan invaded my home planet, Braal…" His voice was gruff and harsh. "When we _refused_ to use our magnetic powers to aid him in his _genocidal conquest_ , he _destroyed_ our entire civilization. Our entire _race_. Among those he personally killed were my wife, Pemalina… _and_ our daughter Jihnorama. He _stained_ Braal's soil with their _blood_. And… he… _LAUGHED!_ He took _my family_ … I shall take as many of _his_ in return as I can until _his_ blood stainsmyhands."

"Of course, Krinn…" the prisoner handed the tattooed Braalite his knife. But before he could strike, he heard a voice call out to him.

"Hey, wait, hold up!" Ranzz ran out from his hiding place, holding his arms up, defensively. Violet smacked her palm against her forehead. "Y'know, if killing Kronan is _truly_ your sole purpose, I don't think this is the right way to go about it…"

"Of what nonsense do you speak?" Krinn's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, keeping a firm grip on Tyamorra's neck.

"Well, she _betrayed_ Kronan, right?" Ranzz explained. "So, that means he's _coming after_ her. And when he _does_ , that's when you…" He slid his finger over his neck and made a cutting noise with his mouth for emphasis.

"…why would I rub my finger on his throat?" Krinn asked.

"What?" Ranzz was confused. "Oh, no! That, uh, that's a _symbol_ for you slicing his throat."

"I would not _slice his throat!_ " Krinn said, irritably. "I would command thousands of metal shards to _rip him to shreds!_ "

"Okay, the _point is_ …" Ranzz sighed. "You wanna keep her _alive_. Don't do Kronan's dirty work for him."

Krinn looked back at Tyamorra, thinking of how easy it would be to end her life right then and there. But the muta-human was right; Kronan was the one he was really after. He released his grip on the woman and his eyes darted down to the blade in his hand as he exited the showers. "I like this knife. I'm keeping it."

"…That was my favorite knife…" the prisoner muttered, sadly.

Ranzz extended his arm to help the green woman off of the floor. She gave him a sour look, smacked his hand away, and got up on her own. The muta-human looked hurt at her reaction. "I didn't _ask_ for your help." She said bitterly and walked off.

"Hey!" Ranzz followed after her, with Violet close behind him. "Look, I could _care less_ whether you live or you die!"

"Then why stop the Braalite?" Tyamorra spun on her heels and crossed her arms.

" _Simple_ ; you know who to sell my orb to."

"And how are we going to sell it when both _we_ and _it_ are still here?"

"My friend, Violet here, has _escaped_ from twenty-two prisons." Ranzz looked down at the furry woman beside him. "Isn't that right?"

"Oh, we're gettin' outta here." Violet confirmed. "And then we're headin' _straight_ to Udonta and the Tamaraneans to collect _your_ bounty."

"How much was your buyer willing to _pay you_ for my orb?" Ranzz turned back to Tyamorra. For a moment she said nothing, unsure of what her next move would be. If there was still a chance that she could escape from Kronan and Darkanos, she _had_ to take it. At last, she made her decision.

"Four billion units."

" _WHAT?!"_ Violet shrieked.

"Holy shit!" Ranzz's jaw dropped open.

"If you help me escape…" She continued. "I'll lead you to the buyer, directly. And then we can split the money between the three of us." A familiar voice uttered unintelligible words, and everyone looked to see the tall Star Martyr standing right behind them.

"Between the _four_ of us…" Violet rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Asleep through the _danger_ , awake for the _money_. As-per-fuckin'-usual."

* * *

 **The Next Day…**

Violet, Thom, Ranzz, and Tyamorra met each other in the cafeteria to discuss their escape plan. They sat at a table in a secluded corner of the room and Violet directed her attention to Ranzz and Tyamorra. "Alright, if we're gonna get outta here we need to get into the hangar where they impound the ships." She pointed down a hallway at the other end of the room. "And in order to do that, I'm gonna need a few things. The guards were security bands to control their ins and outs. I need one."

"Leave it to me." Tyamorra replied.

"That guy over there? I need his prosthetic leg."

"His leg?" Ranzz turned his head, confused. "Alright…"

"And finally, on the side of that watchtower, there's a panel with a blinking yellow light. Behind it is a quarnix battery; purplish box with green wires. If this plan is to work, I _definitely_ need that."

"And how are we supposed to get it?" Tyamorra asked.

"Well, supposedly, some of these ugly bastards find you attractive, so maybe you could get 'em to give it to you in exchange for doin' it with 'em."

"You _must_ be joking."

"No, really, I heard they find you attractive."

"Look, it's _twenty feet_ up in the air, and it's in the center of one of the most _heavily-guarded_ parts of the prison." Ranzz tried to reason, but his ally rubbed her temples in frustration before giving him a dirty look.

"Listen ta me, ya assholes, I have _one_ plan, and that plan requires a fuckin' quarnix battery, so _FIGURE IT OUT!_ Can I finish? Good. Now, this is _important_ ; once the battery is removed, everything is gonna automatically switch to lockdown mode. So, ya definitely wanna get that _last_."

Suddenly, the prison's lights went red and an alarm echoed throughout the halls. The trio turned towards the watchtower and saw Thom, holding the battery. Somehow, he had broken his inhibitor collar off, flew over to the panel, and removed the battery without hearing Violet's warning. Now, he was smiling innocently as he held the battery towards his partners, paying no attention to the other prisoners running around the cafeteria in panic. Violet smacked her forehead again and groaned.

"Or we could just get it _first_ and improvise!" Tyamorra sprinted off to confront a guard, while Ranzz ran in the other direction to get the leg.

In no time at all, twenty Green Novas entered the cafeteria, aiming their ring-weapons at Thom. Everyone was yelling at him, now; telling him to either put down the battery, or take on the officers. Thom's mind raced at the increasing stress, he was just doing what his partner told him to do, and now people were yelling at him. Eventually, his mind snapped, and he began to use his powers to lash out at the officers. Just by waving his arms through the air, he commanded gravity to attack the galactic peacekeepers. Violent narrowly dodged the Novas' blasts and climbed up onto Thom's shoulders.

"Ya _moron!_ " She snarled. "How am I supposed to fight these pigs without my stuff?!" Two Novas managed to sneak behind Thom and Violet, and prepared to take them down. But to their shock, another prisoner charged and tackled them to the ground. Krinn laughed hysterically as he beat the guards and Novas that dared to try and restrain him. Once he caught his breath, he picked up one of the ring-weapons and looked back at the Star Martyr's master.

"Creepy little she-beast!" He shouted to get her attention. He threw the ring-weapon at her, and she caught it with ease. Slipping the weapon's control-ring over her finger, she cocked the rifle and smiled wickedly at the Novas. "Oh… _yeah_."

She opened fire on the men, giving the criminals an opportunity to get to the hangar. Tyamorra caught up and handed Violet the security band, and she began to tinker with the two devices. Meanwhile, Ranzz had stolen the leg, but now he was surrounded by three Green Novas. Just then, Krinn picked up two of the officers, slammed their heads together, and crushed the third with their bodies.

"You! He who is excellent at negotiations!"

At last, Violet created an interface with the security band and the quarnix battery to control every part of the Kiln's systems. They had collected their belongings from impound, and by the time Ranzz caught up with them, they were aboard the Milano and preparing to take off. Tyamorra stared in disbelief at their hitchhiker.

"Spare me your foul gaze, woman!" Krinn snapped.

"What is _he_ doing here?!" She yelled at the muta-human taking control of the spacecraft.

"I promised him he could stick with us until he kills your boss. I always keep my promises when I make them to homicidal maniacs who'll kill me if I don't." He handed the prosthetic leg to Violet as he started his ship's engines. "Here ya go."

"Huh? Oh, no, I was just kidding about the leg. I just needed these two things." Ranzz stared at her angrily. "What? I thought it'd be _funny!_ Was it funny? What did he look like hoppin' around?"

"I almost got shot by _three_ Novas trying to get it!" Violet snickered to herself as she continued to fiddle with her device.

"Cease your infuriating chatter and release us from this frustrating confinement." Krinn grunted as he fastened his seatbelt.

"I'm working on it, you walking thesaurus!" Ranzz snapped back as the ship took off.

"I am _not_ a thesaurus! I am the last member of the Braalite race!"

"It's just a _metaphor_ , Krinn!"

"Ranzz, Braalites were known to be completely literal!" Violet explained as she remotely opened the hangar door. "Metaphors are just gonna go over his head."

" _Nothing_ goes over my head! My reflexes are too fast, I would _catch it!_ "

Ranzz decided to ignore the bickering and focus on getting as far away from the Kiln as possible. Thanks to Violet's makeshift device, the prison would still be in lockdown mode for another hour, so it was smooth sailing from there. Tyamorra entered her buyer's coordinates into the ship's navigational computer, and the crew took a chance to change into their own clothes. Thom put his starry costume back on while Violet changed back into her orange dress. Tyamorra privately switched back to her provocative garb, making sure no one was staring at her. Krinn was perfectly comfortable wearing his cargo pants and boots, but something about Ranzz's jacket caught his eye.

"Where have you seen that crest before?" he pointed to the 'H' on the jacket's shoulder.

"This?" Ranzz checked. " Hyperman saved my life on Earth before I joined Kori. He _lives_ there." The others stared at the muta-human with stunned expressions. "You guys've heard of him?"

Krinn pointed to one of his tattoos on his right bicep. "Ten years ago, the Man of Might saved my people from a great cataclysm. My daughter looked up to him. As did I."

"He has saved _countless_ galaxies throughout the past century." Tyamorra said with genuine admiration. "He is an inspiration to everyone."

Ranzz chuckled at that statement. "Yeah, I like to think _everyone_ on my planet wants to be a hero at some point in their lives." He looked down at his mask with a serious face. "Hell, _I_ could've been a hero if I _tried_. I got abducted by aliens and found out I have lightning powers. That's as good enough of an origin as any. Yeah, I _could_ be a hero…"

"No, ya _can't_ …" Violet snorted. "Ya know why? 'Cause just like the _rest_ of us, you think this universe _owes_ you. An' that makes ya _greedy_. Heroes ain't greedy." The furry woman walked back to the cockpit, leaving Ranzz to think about her words.

"Ranzz?" Tyamorra's voice brought him out of his haze. "We are approaching our destination."

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Savakkari(Makkari/Savitar)**


	32. We're Not Heroes part 3

**Chapter XIII: We're Not Heroes, We're Something Else! Part 3**

 **Deep Space, Sector 0001**

The Milano's crew was shocked to see where Tyamorra's buyer was hiding out. The planetoid looked like a giant, decaying head floating through the void of space. "This is called Knowhere…" Tyamorra explained as the ship flew closer. "The severed head of an ancient celestial being. A few decades ago, it was discovered by colonists and became a mining depot. Whatever substance it is, they gather it, refine it, and use it for fuel." Ranzz flew his ship through the mouth, and soon found a landing port. Once they stepped outside, they found that the cavernous skull had been converted into a city-state. Ranzz muttered a curse under his breath when he stepped in something and Violet snarled at a strange animal that was barking at her. Krinn grunted as everyone ignorantly bumped into him without apologizing. When a little girl ran up to him, Thom kneeled down, summoned one of the stars off of his suit, and gave it to her as a gift.

"My buyer is in there…" Tyamorra pointed at a giant building on the outskirts of the city. "We are to wait for his representative to invite us inside."

"This is no respectable colony!" Krinn spat in disgust. "What do you expect us to do while we wait?"

 **Literally Not Even Five Minutes Later…**

"YES! YES! YES!" Krinn chanted excitedly as he, Violet, and Thom watched two men fighting each other in a locked cage. Violet laughed at the meaningless violence, but Thom gasped in shock when one of their punches caused blood to fly out of the other's mouth. The man fell to the ground, unconscious, and the other man pumped his fists into the air in victory. "Yes! This warrior has _won!_ Just as I win at _all things!_ " Krinn howled with laughter. "Now, let us put more of this burning liquid into our bodies!"

"That's the _first thing_ ya've said that wasn't bat-shit _crazy!_ " Violet half-laughed, half-slurred. Meanwhile, Tyamorra and Ranzz had chosen to stay outside. The green woman sharpened her knives while Ranzz listened to his music. "The representative should've _been here_ by now."

"It's a _buyer's strategy_." Ranzz explained. "Trying to make us wait so that when we go in, we'll accept any offer as long as we get can get outta here. Trust me, this is my specialty. Yours is more… _stab, stab, take what I want_."

"My father never stressed diplomacy." Tyamorra smiled faintly.

"Well, I wouldn't expect a _fallen god_ to favor politics." Ranzz's laugh came to a halt when his companion's face fell.

"Darkanos is _not_ my father…" She said sternly. "After he invaded my planet, Tangea, he killed my parents and kidnapped me. Then he modified me into what I am today. Just as he did to all my other adoptive brothers and sisters."

Ranzz was uncomfortably silent while Tyamorra crossed her arms and looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry… y'know, before Kori _'picked me up'_ I watched my mom die in a hospital."

"How did she die?" Tyamorra looked back up at her companion.

"She had an incurable disease." Ranzz clenched his fist in anger. "We had a chance to save her, but we didn't have enough money for the operation. That's why I listen to _this_ …" Ranzz held up his cassette player to the assassin. "She made a mix tape of all her favorite songs. It helps me remember her." He placed the headphones over her ears and stared fondly into her eyes. She nodded her head to the melody, closing her eyes as her muscles relaxed. Ranzz's grin grew wider; he leaned in towards her, pursed his lips, and closed his eyes…

"NO!" Tyamorra ripped the headphones off of her head, grabbed Ranzz's testicles, and shoved him against the wall with a knife to his neck.

"What the hell?!"

"I know your type, Peter Ranzz! I am not some starry-eyed whore who will fall for your… _pelvic sorcery!_ " She let go of the thief and sheathed her blade. Before Ranzz could say anything, they heard a commotion from inside. Krinn and Thom were duking it out over something that Violet had said. Thom had the Kosmic Krusher pinned, but the Braalite's chest implants began to glow a bright purple. Two bands of metal came to life and wrapped themselves around Thom's neck, giving Krinn a chance to get up. Violet aimed her gun at the tattooed thug when Ranzz and Tyamorra ran in to stop them.

"What the hell is going on?!" Ranzz stood in front of Violet to block her target. Tyamorra pushed Krinn back, earning herself a backhand slap.

"Do not _touch_ me, murderess!" He snarled with pure malice. "This female vermin speaks of matters she knows _nothing about!_ "

"That is _true!_ " Violet angrily confessed.

"She has _no_ _respect_ for my fallen people!"

"That is _also true!_ "

"I thought Braalite warriors were supposed to _avoid and evade!_ " Tyamorra spoke sternly to Krinn, who gave her a fierce look, then turned to Violet. "Calm down, _now, rodent!_ "

"Shut the _fuck up_ , ya green bitch!" Violet looked as if she were on the verge of tears. "Ya just wanna _laugh_ at me! Like _everybody else!_ Well, I didn't _ask_ to be _made!_ I didn't ask to get _dragged outta my home_ and _put in a cage!_ I didn't ask to be _strapped to a table_ , _ripped apart_ , an' _put back together_ , _over_ an' _over_ , like… _some lil' monster!_ "

"Violet, you're _drunk!_ No one's calling you a monster!" Ranzz did his best to reason with her, but she wouldn't calm down.

"He called me _'vermin!'_ An' she called me _'rodent!'_ " She pointed the gun back at Krinn. "Let's see if ya can laugh after _five_ or _six_ good shots to yer _fuckin' head!_ "

"Violet, _four billion units!_ " Ranzz desperately pleaded. "Just suck it up for one more lousy night, and you're _rich!_ "

Violet's breathing began to regain its normal pace. She looked over at Thom, who gave her a pleading look while rubbing the spot where the metal bands had dug into his skin. Her gun emitted a low hum as she turned it off. " _Fine_ … But I'm not promisin' that I won't _kill_ all a' ya jerks when this is over."

"See?! That's exactly why _none of you_ have any friends!" Ranzz shouted irritably. "Five seconds after you meet someone, you're already trying to kill 'em!"

"Who are _you_ to judge _anyone_ , thief!" Krinn shoved Ranzz. "We have traveled… _half-way_ across the _quadrant…!_ And Kronan is no closer to being dead." The Braalite pushed his way past Thom and stormed outside.

"Wait! Krinn!"

"Let him go…" Tyamorra spoke softly to Ranzz. "We don't even _need_ him."

Suddenly, a blue-skinned alien in a ragged dress entered the building and made her way to the group. She curtsied in respect and turned her attention to the assassin. "Lady Tyamorra, I have been sent to fetch you for my master…" She smiled as she led them out of the building.

Meanwhile, Krinn, still drunk from the liquids, stumbled outside. He did his best to make the buzzing in his head disappear when he saw a communications tower. An idea crept into his mind, and he made his way inside the communications hub. Summoning small shards from the metal walls, he fashioned a knife and held it to the sole caretaker's throat. "Hello…" He said menacingly. "You're going to send a _message_ for me."

* * *

"I present to you… Larfleeze Tivan, the Collector." The woman motioned her arms towards a man covered in white fur and an orange business suit. The man made his way towards Tyamorra and planted a kiss on her knuckles. Ranzz took the orb out from his satchel and presented it to Tivan.

"Oh, my friends!" He said excitedly. "You don't even know _what_ this _is_ , do you?" When nobody gave a positive response, he led them over to his desk and began to tinker with the metal sphere. "Before any _war_ was _fought_ … before any _army_ was _gathered_ … before any _fist_ was raised against _another_ … before even the word _'power'_ was conceived… _this_ existed…"

"I recognize the pattern now…" Tyamorra stated. "Is that a…Adroan restrainer?"

"One of the very _first_ …"Tivan continued. "Inside is what's known as the _Power Ring!_ " Tivan activated several screens over his workplace, each one displaying images of giant beings. These giants held weapons that contained a small ring, radiating with green energy. "The very giant whose head formed Knowhere was the last owner of this Ring. When used by beings such as himself, the Ring can be used to mow down entire planets like _wheat_ _in a field_." The orb opened and revealed the glowing Ring. " _Beautiful!_ "

"Blah! Blah! Blah!" Violet said indignantly. "Will ya _hurry up_ an' _pay us_ , already?!"

"Very well…" While Tivan dug through the drawer in his desk, Thom decided to have a look around the strange collection of living beings. Just then, he spotted a man dressed with a familiar outfit. He called out to his allies in his strange language, earning a response from Ranzz.

"Oh, my god… Hyperman?!" The thief's words attracted Tyamorra and Violet. "What is Hyperman doing here?! Let him out of there!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, my boy…" Tivan reached for the blaster in his belt, waiting for the upcoming conflict. But his attention quickly switched over to his slave, who was now standing right in front of the Ring. "Kalerina… stand back!"

"I will no longer be your slave!" She grabbed onto the Ring, and powerful bursts of energy sprang forth throughout the building. Many of the glass cages shattered, including the one that contained the Radonian. As Kalerina's screams echoed, Thom picked up Violet and Hyperman and ran outside as quickly as he could. Ranzz grabbed Tyamorra and they ducked behind the desk. Once her body succumbed to the power, a final shockwave tore the building to shreds.

Ranzz and Tyamorra closed the restrainer around the Ring and rushed outside. "How could I have been so _foolish_ as to think Tivan could contain whatever was in the orb!"

"What the fuck do ya still have it for?!" Violet clenched the sides of her head in fear while Thom tried to wake Hyperman up. "I can't believe you had _that_ in yer purse!"

"It's not a _purse_ , it's a _knapsack!_ " Ranzz corrected.

"We need to take it back to Zandoa and give it to the Green Nova Corps!" Tyamorra concluded. "There's a chance they can keep it safe!"

"Are ya outta yer fuckin' mind?! We're _wanted_ by the Green Nova Corps!" Violet could hardly believe her ears. "Just _give it_ ta Kronan!"

"So he can use it to wipe out the galaxy?!" Ranzz spat back.

"What are ya, some _saint_ all of a sudden?! First _Hyperman_ , now the _galaxy?_ What's the galaxy ever done for us?! Why would _we_ wanna _save_ it?!"

"Because were some of the jackasses who _live_ in it!"

"We don't have _time_ for this!" Tyamorra spoke up and began to walk to the ship. "Whatever we do, we can't stay – oh, no…" The four misfits stared in shock at the fleet of Sakarian Manhunters approaching them. One ship landed on the street and Kronan stepped out. Additionally, Ranzz heard a familiar shrill voice call out to him; it was Kori and the Tamaraneans. Ranzz grabbed Tyamorra and the duo raced into the city, with Kori and Black Nebula hot on their trail.

"Kronan the Accuser!" Krinn stepped out onto the street, his implants glowing bright as he gripped his knives.

" _You_ are the one who transmitted the message?" the Kree terrorist cocked a curious eyebrow.

"You _killed_ my wife…" Krinn's eyes shined from the tears he was forcing back. "You killed my _daughter!_ "

Kronan gripped his sledgehammer tightly. He had thought that all Braalites had perished when he invaded their planet. "I have killed _many_ wives and daughters. You'll have to be a _bit more_ specific…" Krinn clenched his teeth together and charged at his race's murderer. Kronan dodged the Braalite's slashes, and knocked him over with a swing of his hammer. He quickly advanced to smash Krinn's skull, but his magnetic powers blocked the blow.

Krinn hit the hilt of the hammer against Kronan's chin, and rammed the other end into his chest. Kronan shoved the hammer away and stomped over to his attacker. Krinn regained his footing and prepare to fight with his bare fists. Each blow was blocked by the strong Kree, and earned him a more devastating blow in return. At last, Kronan grabbed an arm and a leg, and threw him into a vat of the harvested fuel.

Meanwhile, Kori whistled loudly and brought her telepathic arrow to life. The arrow zipped around, trying to pierce either Ranzz or Tyamorra. Luckily, Ranzz was familiar with Kori's arrow and knew the right amount of electricity he'd need to temporarily deactivate it. He turned around, pointed his forefinger, and in no time at all, the arrow lay helpless on the ground. Kori picked it up and continued to chase them down. For a moment, Tyamorra actually believed that they might get away.

And then she saw the red lightning.

Black Nebula snatched the orb out of her hand and sent the two outcasts flying through the air with a single stomp. "You are a disappointment, sister. Out of all our siblings, I hated you _least_." She ran off, leaving Ranzz and Tyamorra to be captured by the Tamaraneans. The alien speedster delivered the orb to her master and they took off.

* * *

Thom had finally fished Krinn out of the vat and laid him down next to Hyperman. Using his gravity powers to push on his chest, he forced the mucky fuel out of the Braalite's lungs. Krinn slowly sat up and his eyes widened at the sight of Earth's greatest hero."Behold…" he whispered. "The Man of Might…"

"That moron!" Violet yelled angrily. "They're all _morons!_ They just got themselves captured! _None_ a' this woulda happened if _you_ hadn't tried ta single-handedly take on a _fuckin' army!_ "

"… you're _right_ … Krinn's head fell out of shame. "I was _foolish_. _Selfish_ … all that anger… all that _rage_ … it's just a façade… to hide my _grief_." Thom placed a hand on Krinn's shoulder, offering comfort. Violet looked at him with a brief glimpse of concern.

" _Aw_ , boo-hoo-hoo! My wife an' child are _dead!_ " She said mockingly, Thom gasped in surprise at her cruel gesture. "Oh, I don't _care_ if it's mean! _Everybody's_ got dead people! That's no excuse ta get everyone else dead along the way!" She took a moment to calm down. "Now, c'mon, Thom. Kronan has the Ring. Our only chance is ta get in Ranzz's ship, get ta the _farthest end_ a' the galaxy as _fast_ as we can, an' maybe – _just maybe_ – we can live full lives before that _wack-job_ gets ta us…"

As Violet began to walk away, Thom stood up angrily. He grunted his crude language at her, which made her ears perk up. " _Save them?_ Why?!" Again he grunted his unintelligible words. "I _know_ they're the only friends we've ever had! But there's an entire _army_ a' Tamaraneans, an' there's only _two_ _a' us!_ "

" _Three_ …" Krinn corrected as he stood up beside the taller man. Violet grabbed the sides of her head in frustration. She hollered in anger and started kicking a small patch of flora.

"Yer! Makin'! Me! Beat! Up! Grass!"

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Author's note: Just for clarification, Thom's name is pronounced as 'Tom.' The 'H' is silent.**


	33. We're Not Heroes part 4

**Chapter XIII: We're Not Heroes, We're Something Else! Part 4**

 **The Black Riot**

Kronan gingerly crested the orb in his palm. According to the scientists onboard his warship, the orb had contained something much more valuable than he had originally thought. A sinister scheme began to form in his brain like a malevolent storm. He summoned Darkanos via the ship's communication device and handed his sledgehammer over to his lead manhunter. When the fallen god's face appeared on the screen, Kronan held up the orb, triumphantly.

"The orb is now in my possession…"

"Bring it to me!" Darkanos' voice bellowed.

"Ah, _yes_ , that was our agreement…" Kronan smugly looked down at the orb. "Deliver the orb to you, and you shall destroy Zandoa for me. However, now that I know it contains an _Infinity_ _Ring_ , I no longer need you at all…"

" _Bastard_ , I would _reconsider_ my next move if I were you!" But Darkanos' threats fell upon deaf ears. Kronan violently ripped the orb open and clutched the Ring in his grip. The Ring once again released powerful streams of energy, but Kronan's willpower pulled through. He reached for his hammer and placed the Ring inside its head. With the Ring inside, he could now control its power with no ill effects to himself.

"You call me _bastard!_ " He laughed maniacally at the fallen god. "I shall inflict a hundred years worth of justice upon Zandoa, and _burn it_ to its _core!_ And then, Darkanos… I'm coming for _you_." When the screen went blank, Black Nebula stepped forward.

"After you destroy Zandoa, you're going to kill my father?"

"You dare to oppose me?"

"You've seen what he's turned me into…" She looked at her cybernetic parts with disgust. "If you kill him, I shall serve you until the end of my days."

 **Meanwhile, Aboard the Tamaraneans' Mothership…**

"You _betray me!_ " Kori said as she punched Ranzz in the gut. "You _steal my money!_ " Another punch. "Hang around with _this whore!_ " Another punch. Tyamorra struggled to break free from the crewmen's grip. Kori held onto Ranzz's jaw, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "When I picked you up on Earth as a kid, these boys and girls wanted to _eat you!_ They've never tasted _muta-human_ before! I _stopped them!_ "

"Oh, will you _shut up about that?!_ " Ranzz finally spoke up. " _Twenty years_ you've been throwing that in my face! As if it's some great thing! _Normal people_ don't eat _other people!_ And stop with the whole ' _picked me up_ ' shit! You _abducted me_ , Udonta! You took me from my _home!_ " Kori whistled sharply, and her arrow now hovered directly in front of Ranzz's neck. Before she could whistle again, Ranzz drew her attention. "You kill me, and you are saying 'good-bye' to the biggest score you've ever seen."

"The Ring?" Kori laughed and crossed her arms. "You better have something better than _that_ , because _no_ _one's_ going up against Kronan."

"We've got a buyer… my partner, Tyamorra, over there, knows his warship like the _back of her hand_."

"He's _vulnerable_ right now." Tyamorra confirmed, noticing the growing interest in the Tamaranean's eyes.

"What do you say, Kori?" Ranzz smiled brightly. "You and me, _smashin' an' grabbin'_ , just like the _old days_ …" Udonta rubbed her chin, thinking about the offer. Finally, she whistled once more, and the arrow flew back into her belt's quiver.

"Hahahahaha! Let them go!" Kori laughed as she gave Ranzz a firm hug. Everyone cheered, excited to hear about their biggest job yet. Ranzz smiled as Kori's arm wrapped around his shoulders and she playfully poked him in the side. "I _knew_ there was a reason I kept you along, boy!" Suddenly, the entire ship shook. They raced to the command deck to see the Milano firing at them, although the blasts caused no critical damage.

"Attention, _jackasses_ …" Violet's voice boomed over the comm. while Krinn stood on top of the ship, wearing a breathing device and holding a large cannon. "The maniac on top of this ship is wielding an _apex enforcer_. A weapon of my own design. If you do not hand over our companions, _now_ , he's gonna tear your ship a new one! A _very, very big_ new one! You have to the count of _five!_ FIVE! FOUR! THREE-!"

"NO!" Ranzz hurried over the ship's receiver and opened a channel. "Violet, stop! It's alright, we figured it out! We're fine!"

"Oh, hey, Ranzz, how ya doin'?"

* * *

By now, Hyperman had awoken from his coma, and was surprised to see so many faces staring down at him. The black-skinned man with purple tattoos helped him sit up straight so that he could get a good look at everyone. A tall bearded man with a golden cross on his chest spoke excitedly in words that Kal couldn't understand. "He says it's _nice_ ta meet ya." The short furry woman crossed her arms. The green woman handed him a drink and told him how they were all admirers of the last son of Radon.

"Where am I? What's going on?" He asked. A man in a purple trench coat with dual lightning bolts on the chest stepped up.

"I know you're confused, but we need your help, Hyperman…" Ranzz explained the situation to Hyperman; how an Infinity Ring had fallen into the hands of a tyrant, and they needed his help in saving the galaxy. He told the group his plan, but Hyperman was the only one who agreed with him. Everyone else looked reluctant.

"Guys, c'mon, I need your help!" Ranzz pleaded. "Now that Hyperman's with us, we have a chance! We can save the galaxy!" Still, the others wouldn't even look at him. Hyperman tried to say something, but Ranzz assured him that he could convince them. "Guys, I look around at us, and you know what I see? _Losers_." Everybody looked at him with insulted expressions. "I mean, like, folks who've _lost stuff_. And we have, oh, _God_ , we _have_. Our _homes_. Our _families_. Chances at _normal lives_. I know that life may seem unfair. And I know more often than not, life _takes_ more than it _gives_ , but not _today_. Today life is giving _us_ a chance."

"To do what?" Krinn ask quietly.

"To _care_. To give a shit. And _I_ , for one, am _not_ gonna just stand by as evil wipes out the galaxy…"

"But Ranzz…" Violet sighed. "Even _with_ Hyperman's help, taking on Kronan when he's got that Ring… it's _impossible_. Yer askin' us to _die_."

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I am…" Ranzz rubbed his forehead.

"It's alright, Peter." Hyperman patted Ranzz on the shoulder."I'll go ahead and proceed with _my_ part." When he flew off, Tyamorra looked back at the thief.

"Ranzz…?" She stood up with a small smile on her face. "I have spent most of my life surrounded by my enemies… I will be _honored_ to die beside my _friends_."

Ranzz's own face spread into a confident smile. A smile that infected Krinn as he rose from his seat to pat his comrade on the back. "You have proven to be an _honorable man_ , Peter Ranzz. I will fight beside you, and I shall win regardless of the outcome. For if we _prevail_ , I shall have finally avenged my family and my people. And if we _fall_ , I shall finally see them again in the afterlife."

Not long after that, Thom stood up proudly, muttering his language to confirm that he'd help. All eyes fell on Violet. The former test animal sighed deeply and rolled her eyes. Then, a smirk creeped onto her face as she spoke. "Ah, what the hell, I didn't really wanna live forever anyway."

Hyperman was already on his way to Zandoa to warn Guardian Prime about Kronan, and convince the Green Novas that they'd help. When he finally reached the capital, all of the civilians were awe-struck as he flew directly into the Green Nova Corps' station. The Nova officers all but bowed at the sight of the battered Radonian. "Guardian Prime, I need to speak with you. I was recently rescued by a man who goes by the name Peter Ranzz. He says that a terrorist named Kronan is already on his way to Zandoa with something called an Infinity Ring."

"Good _God_ …" Guardian Prime gasped in shock, as did the other officers.

"He's on his way with his crew and the entire Tamaranean fleet to help in any way they can."

"With all due respect, Hyperman…" a bird-like officer spoke skeptically. "Ranzz is a _criminal_ ; this is most likely a _trick_."

"Did he give you any reason to trust him?" the elderly command asked.

"From what I understand, he and his crew just escaped from _prison_ so they'd have no other reason to risk coming here to help…"

While Guardian Prime thought about her options, the Tamaraneans' ship had intercepted the Black Riot. Violet led a group of them to the surface to help Hyperman protect the civilians. The rest of them fought the Sakarian manhunters with their personal airships while Ranzz and his crew snuck behind the Riot and broke inside.

"Get this done, Ranzz!" Kori shouted into the communication link. "No more games, boy! I'll see you at the end of this!" When the transmission ended, Kori looked at all of the Tamaranean ships that were being shot down by the manhunters. Before she could order a retreat, a green blast of energy destroyed three different manhunter ships. To her surprise, Green Novas flew to the hull of the Black Riot and created an energy blockade, preventing it from getting closer to Zandoa.

"Kori Udonta, this is Tomar Saal of the Green Nova Corps. For the record; I voted _against_ trusting you. Now, prove me _wrong!_ " Kori smiled to herself.

Krinn mounted the ship's cannon and blew a hole in the rear-end of the Black Riot so that Ranzz could squeeze them inside. One of the ship's thrusters became greatly damaged and it skidded across the floor of the giant warship, running over many Sakarians. While the others screamed in terror, Krinn laughed hysterically as the adrenaline pumped through his veins. At last, the Milano came to a halt, and the four companions stepped outside. Realizing that the others could barely see, Thom placed a hand over the golden cross, and the stars on his garb glistened brightly.

As Tyamorra led them to the control deck, Krinn looked at his allies and smiled. "I want you all to know that I am grateful for your acceptance of me… despite my horrible behavior. I may not be able to have my wife and daughter back, but it is comforting to once again have… _friends_."

Just then, Black Nebula raced into the room, cackling with red lightning. "Tyamorra! You have betrayed Kronan! You pathetic harpy! I swear by this day, your screams will echo throughout the cosmos!" Before anyone could blink, Nebula sped towards them, reaching out for her sister's throat. But she froze in her place, choking as her eyes wandered over to the Braalite. His implants glowed brightly, and he used his magnetic powers to throw the cyborg around the room. When she was reduced to a bloody and broken frame, Krinn threw her out of the warship.

"Nobody speaks to my friends like that."

When they reached the control deck, they were met with over thirty Sakarian manhunters. One of them walked over to Ranzz and sneered. "Lightning-Lord!"

"Finally!" Lightning-Lord activated his mask and started blasting the manhunters. Tyamorra used her own body as a weapon, striking the right points to shatter the manhunters' critical points. To Krinn, the manhunter robots were like tin soldiers that he could break with ease, reminding those gathered why he was called "the Kosmic Krusher." Thom was busy focusing his power over gravity to rip the door open. The four friends stepped inside, spotted Kronan, and hit him with everything they had.

Then he aimed his hammer at them.

The green energy knocked the group to the ground. Krinn was the first to recover, and he bravely rushed at the power-hungry tyrant. Unfortunately, the Ring's energy had increased Kronan's power, and he held the Krusher by the throat. "I was _wrong_ earlier…" Kronan smiled wickedly. "I _do_ remember your family. And your pathetic Braalites. And I now realize that my only mistake was not seeing the _extinction_ to the en-!" The Kree terrorist was cut off when Violet rammed her ship through the Riot's hull and wrecked the control console.

Ranzz climbed into the cab of her ship and carefully brought the furry woman to the rest of their friends. Without the control console, the Black Riot was now going to crash onto Zandoa. Hyperman saw this and rushed up to slow its descent. He could divert it away from the city, but without his powers being at full hyper-strength, he could do nothing to make it land safely. Thom huddled beside his four friends and closed his eyes.

Spreading his arms outward, the Star Martyr's cross began to glow brighter than a star. The others looked at him with concern as he began to groan and struggle. Their friend was using his power to create a protective shield around them, but it was clear that it was causing him great pain. Suddenly, streams of blood ran from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth, but he would not stop. Violet tearfully put her hands on his shoulders.

"No, Thom! Ya _can't!_ You'll _die!_ W-why are you _doin'_ this?! Why…?" Thom lifted one finger, using a smaller portion of his power to wipe away her tears. Then, just as they were about to hit the surface, Thom looked at his friends with a smile and strained to say three final words.

"We… are… friends…"

* * *

The Black Riot was in pieces. Ranzz, Tyamorra, Krinn, and Violet woke up to the sounds of Hyperman and the citizens gathering around them. Violet crawled over to Thom's motionless body, sobbing and cursing herself for the way she had treated him. Everyone gasped in shock as Kronan stepped out of the smoke.

"Behold! Your legends of the galaxy! What fruit have they wrought?! Only that your planet will finally pay for its crimes against my people! Zandoa, your retribution is at hand!" But before he could strike the ground, Hyperman used his heat vision to shatter the hammer's head. Unfortunately, the Ring sent a counter strike against the Radonian, knocking him out cold. Without thinking, Ranzz lunged for the Ring and caught it just before it could make contact.

The pain was unbearable. Lightning-Lord screamed in agony as the energy began to spread from his body into the ground. Tyamorra saw his plight, and struggled to get up. She forced her way over to her friend and took his hand, sharing the burden of the power. Kronan watched with shock as Krinn and Violet did the same. The green energy began to calm down, pumping through all four of their bodies until the screaming stopped. The four friends glared at Kronan as they felt the immense power surging through them.

"You are _mortals!_ " Kronan trembled. " _How?!_ "

"You said it yourself, you son of a bitch…" Lightning-Lord replied. "We're the Legends of the Galaxy." The group focused the power on Kronan and reduced his body to ashes.

 **Later…**

After being offered a hefty reward in exchange, Kori Udonta decided to let the Green Nova Corps. Guardian Prime held a public gathering to celebrate the recent victory and thank Ranzz and his crew. Hyperman, himself, handed out their medals, beaming with pride. When the ceremony ended, and Hyperman headed back to Earth, Nova Kyle Alexander led the group to the hangar to show them a fully-repaired Milano.

"We salvaged what we could. Tried to keep it as close to the original as possible."

"Wow… thank you, Nova Alexander." Lightning-Lord smiled.

"I have a family here…" Alexander confessed. "They're alive because of you. Your criminal records have been expunged, though I have to warn you against committing any crimes in the near future." The four friends agreed and boarded the ship. Krinn noticed Violet was staring down at the memorial statue made in Thom's honor, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"He served his purpose as a Star Martyr… he died for what he believed in." Violet nodded and Krinn took a seat next to Tyamorra.

"Your family and your people will rest in peace, knowing that you have avenged them." She said.

"No…" Krinn sighed. "Kronan was merely a _puppet_. _Darkanos_ is the one I need to kill."

"So, what should we do now?" Ranzz said, trying to change the subject. "Something _good?_ Something _bad?_ A bit of _both?_ "

"We'll follow your lead… Lightning-Lord."

"Bit of both!" With that, the Legends of the Galaxy flew off to their next adventure.

 **To Be Continued!**

* * *

 **Epilogue:**

 **The Forbidden Realm**

Nebula's broken body was dragged into her father's throne room. The pain was completely unbearable, and she begged her father to end her life. But Darkanos had other plans. The fallen god snapped his fingers, summoning Savakkari. The fallen god of motion smiled sinisterly as he picked up his niece. Black lightning cackled from his hands and infected Nebula's open wounds. The cyborg speedster screamed in pain; her flesh rotted away, her blood evaporated, and her mind became primal. She was forever transformed into a harbinger of death.

 **The Legends of the Galaxy will return.**


	34. The Brotherhood part 1

**Chapter XIV: The Brotherhood of Evil Muta-Humans! Part 1**

 **Nazi-Occupied Poland, 1943**

Maxine Eisenhardt kneeled down beside her ten year old son and handed him a locket with their picture inside. She had managed to smuggle it into the camp so that she could leave him a little bit of hope after they were inevitably separated. "My beautiful boy…" A tear rolled down her cheek as she cupped her child's face. "No matter what happens to me, please promise you will look after our kind…" Before her son could answer, a group of uniformed men stormed into the camp, ordering everyone to line up.

The young boy clung tightly to his mother's coat as the soldiers led their group through the camp's courtyard. These men lined them up in front of a tall iron gate, telling them that they were going to lead them into the showers. The boy's mother cringed at the thought, but he was too young to understand. But when they tried to separate the boy from his mother, he began to scream and reach out for her.

The woman reached back for her son as the gates closed. The boy's eyes flared with anger and he focused more of his energy into his reach. Suddenly, like magic, the iron gate began to warp out of shape. The men staggered back out of shock, but their commanding officer ordered them to restrain the boy. Not an easy task. The boy's strength did not waver, and the gate came very close to being torn down.

In a flash of red lightening, Hitler's prized assassin appeared and knocked the boy unconscious with a single blow. As the boy lay motionless on the ground, Red Zoom retracted his mask to inspect his body. The Nazi speedster's gauntlets had severely cut the boy's eye; he'd never be able to see out of it again. But when he looked back at the gate, Zoom didn't think losing half of his sight would be much of a problem. He spoke to the troops with his usual, menacing tone.

 **("Commander…")**

("Yes, Red Zoom?")

 **("See to it that this child is delivered to Professor DeVoe's laboratory.")**

* * *

 **Washington, D.C. Public Service Summit, Present Day…**

Professor Niles Xavier had taken his place in the grand room with the other politicians. His former prized pupil, Garth McCoy, was about to deliver his case on the recent Muta-human registration act. When he took his place at the podium, his opponent, Senator Jim Fence, sat quietly on the other end.

"Ladies and Gentlemen…" He began calmly. "Throughout history, we, as a people, have had a terrible track record of wrongfully imprisoning or punishing people who are considered _different_. This 'registration act' is nothing more than an excuse to label individuals that we don't understand."

Xavier beamed with pride at his student's expertise. His only mistake was allowing his gaze to fall upon the crowd. Standing in a secluded part of the room, a mysterious figure with an eye-patch gave a skeptic expression. When Xavier looked back, it was Fence's turn to say his peace.

"Dr. McCoy… this isn't about _labels_ , this is about _public safety_." Xavier recognized Fence's tactics all too well. Garth was trying to appeal to the council's conscience, but the senator was appealing to their fears. "Muta-humans possess _unpredictable_ powers that can endanger the lives of anyone close to them! I believe that we have the _right_ to know if we are working with muta-humans! Or worst, if our _children_ are going to _school_ with muta-humans!" The building was in an uproar, except for the mysterious figure.

As he made his way out, Xavier wheeled after him. Once he was certain that they were alone, the Chief called out. "Wilson!" The man stopped in his tracks at the sound of his name. He craned his neck so that his good eye could look at the handicapped professor. "Wilson, please, do not do anything rash…"

"This is how it _starts_ , Niles…" Wilson replied. "The _fear_ … the need to _isolate_ those they don't understand. I will _never_ let it happen again." Xavier tried to chase after him, but his old friend snapped his fingers and the metal doors slammed behind him.

Meanwhile, back at the institute, it was looking to be a perfect weekend. Some students had already started on their projects while others had taken time to relax. Raymond Summers had other plans. He was in the courtyard with his younger brother, firing his optic blasts so that Grant could dodge them. Every time he missed, Grant would counter with his own concussive blasts from his fists. But unlike Ray's beams, Grant's blasts were unfocused and more dangerous. He couldn't concentrate on how to get a proper bead on his opponent, earning him another direct hit to the chest. As Grant groaned to himself on the ground, Ray walked over and helped him sit up.

"So that makes the score, twenty-five to zero…" Ray sat down beside Grant and patted him on the shoulder. "Hey, you'll _get better_. Remember when you were in middle school and you had trouble with that math course? Mom and Dad got you a tutor and you _passed_."

Grant cocked an indignant eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure this is a little _different_ , Ray."

"Yeah, it _is_ …" Ray laughed lightly. "Because this time you don't _have_ a tutor, you're stuck with _me_. And I'm your _brother_ , and I love you." Grant smiled as Ray rubbed his hand through his hair. "So, what do you say? Give it another go?" The two brothers stood up, ready to continue sparring.

"Oh, _boys!_ " Ray turned his head to the source of the lovely voice. Lilith walked over to them, holding a toddler to her chest. "I hate to interrupt your playtime, but I believe Raymond promised _lunch_."

"Sorry, babe…" Ray wiped the sweat from his brow and took the toddler away from her. "Hey, buddy! How ya doing?"

"Daddy sweaty!" the toddler laughed. That word made Grant shake his head in surprise.

"Yeah, I _am_ sweaty, aren't I? Tell ya what, let me go take a quick shower and then we'll go get lunch!" The boy squealed with delight as he reached for the visor over his father's eyes. "Hey, hey, _hey!_ What've I told you, Rip? I can't take this off, okay?"

"M'kay." The boy said. Ray gave Lilith a kiss, handed the boy back to her, and ran into the school.

"Okay, who is this?" Grant asked Lilith, trying not to sound too startled.

" _This_ is Rip Summers, your nephew." Lilith smiled.

"And _why_ am I just now learning about him?"

"Your brother likes to keep his private life _private_." She shrugged. Grant decided to drop it, but just then, a new query popped into his head.

"Hey, Lilith, I've been meaning to ask; how come Ray can't just _turn his powers off_ like everybody else? Any theories?"

"Plenty of _theories_ , no solid _diagnosis_." The telepath sighed. "Garth thinks it's because he suffered severe _head trauma_ as a child, I think it could be damage to his _retinas_ , Chief X thinks it has some kind of _psychological_ back-story."

"Well, whatever it is, I just wanna _thank you_ for making my brother happy."

"You're _welcome_." Lilith smiled and cooed to her son. "I can't say I'm _upset, myself_."

While the two in-laws enjoyed each other, the school's three refugee-students were spending the day in their dorm. Sooraya, dressed in her traditional niqab, was enjoying a biscuit while she finished her physics homework, Noriko was looking up fan-fiction on her phone, letting small amounts of electricity circle around her fingers as a nervous habit, and Cisco lay down on his bed, nodding his head to the music on his MP3. A knock on the door made Sooraya shift into her sand-form, fly over, and answer it.

"Good morning, students." Edward and Ororo, the trio's teachers, walked inside with happy grins on their faces.

Ororo's hands were behind her back. "We have _good news_ for you three…" The couple's smiles grew wider as she held up three plastic cards.

"Oh, my God!" Cisco jumped up and snatched the one with his picture on it. "Are these seriously-?!"

"Yes." Edward patted him on the shoulder. "You are now legally citizens of the United States."

"This is so exciting!" Sooraya hugged her teachers. "I am very excited to learn more about this country's culture!"

"Well, you're not gonna learn any of it from _here_ , Nimbus." Noriko remarked. "The only thing American about this place is that it used to be _British_." The African-Japanese teen wrapped her arms around her roommates. "I say we celebrate our new citizenship with a little road trip!"

"Excellent idea!" Cisco beamed.

"Now, wait a minute!" Edward held up his hands defensively.

"Oh, c'mon, Mr. Wagner! There's gotta be, like, a _mall_ or something around here."

"What's a mall?" Sooraya asked.

" _What's a mall?!_ " Noriko and Cisco both looked shocked. "Okay, now this is a matter of _urgency!_ "

Edward and Ororo looked at each other nervously for a moment. They knew that they couldn't keep their students in the school forever, but they were mainly concerned for Sooraya. Unlike her other two roommates, she lost her parents when she was very young. She was kidnapped by terrorists and sold into slavery for most of her life until the X-Patrol liberated her from the Gambler. As a result, she had become a very skittish and introverted young girl.

"I would like to see the mall." She said at last.

Ororo sighed deeply. "Alright, but you must _promise_ to stay with us the entire time." When the three teens agreed, their teachers left for a moment to get ready. Out of instinct, Ororo wore her X-Patrol uniform under her clothes in case of an emergency. Edward simply adjusted the settings on his appearance modifier and the couple met their three students at the school's garage. They huddled into a minivan and drove for half an hour before they reached the downtown area. After parking in a public garage, the group headed to the subway.

Then, it happened.

The people around them were in such a hurry that they didn't mind bumping into everyone else around them. Sooraya tried to stay close to her friends, but her foot caught on her niqab and she tripped into the subway car. By the time she got up, the doors shut and the train was beginning to move. Edward panicked while Ororo instructed the Afghan girl to just wait for them at the next stop. Sooraya was on her own. She sat down on a secluded bench and tried to breath steadily.

"You don't belong here." Beads of sweat ran down her skin as she tried to ignore the man across from her. "You're lucky Hammer didn't get elected, or else he would've deported you by now." The man got up from his seat and was now staring down at her. "In fact, why don't you just _go ahead_ and go back to your own country!" Sooraya was on the verge of tears.

"Hey!" a boy who was around Sooraya's age shoved the man away from her. "Leave her alone!"

"Mind yer own business, you lil' brat!"

"Then leave her alone!" Sooraya was surprised that this boy was defending her so fiercely. The man didn't say anything else, he just walked away. Sooraya's savior sat down next to her with a concerned look in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yes…" She said happily. "Thank you."

"No problem…" The boy shrugged. "I just don't like bullies. I'm Billy." He extended his hand and she took it.

"I'm Sooraya."

* * *

 **Meanwhile, Back in D.C.**

Senator Fence proudly walked through the parking lot of the conference hall. Now that he had the public on his side, it was only a matter of time before the Muta-human Registration Act would be passed, regardless of President Walter's ideas. And muta-humans would only be the beginning; after he got rid of them, he'd target immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and anyone else who corrupted the minds of his country's youth.

"Excuse me, Senator Fence?" the old man turned around to see a beautiful young woman chasing after him. "I just need you to go over these important documents again. Is there someplace _private_ where we can discuss them?"

"Why _certainly_ , my dear." Fence smiled as they approached his car. "If you'll just step inside with me…" But when he got in, she wouldn't enter the vehicle with him. "Ma'am?" He rolled down the window so they could speak to each other clearly. "Didn't you say you wanted to talk?"

"Oh, I'm afraid that won't be _necessary_." Fence was shocked to see her flesh and clothing began to fade away. The woman now had fiery red hair, blue skin, and a silver dress. Fence quickly started his car and made a break for the exit. His car was only a few feet away from safety when a man garbed in black and orange armor stepped in front of him. He raised his palm and Fence's car immediately braked hard, sending him flying through the windshield. But before he could make contact with the surface, the old senator found himself wrapped up in a slimy prehensile tongue. Then in the clutches of a muscular fat man that towered over his attacker.

"Senator Fence… it's a pleasure to finally meet you." The man was wearing an orange helmet that covered the entire left half of his face. He took the helmet off, revealing his eye-patch.

"Deathgrip…" Fence gasped. "If you kill me, it'll just prove _everything_ I've said about you freaks…"

"Oh, don't worry, senator. The last thing we want is for you to die…" Deathgrip's sinister grin spread wider across his wrinkled face. "My brothers and sisters need you _alive_ for our plan to work. Behemoth, take him back to our headquarters."

The giant man dragged Fence away, with a smaller, reptilian boy hopping after him. The woman walked over to her master. "What's our next move, Deathgrip?"

"My loyal Madam Mystique…" Deathgrip spoke confidently. "We are nearing the next stage in our plan… once Behemoth and Gremlin have secured Fence, take them and the twins to the Westchester Shopping Center. That should give Niles' children enough of a distraction. Then, I shall lead the others to retrieve the technology we need to complete the machine…"

Madam Mystique nodded and walked after the two Brothers. Once he was alone, Deathgrip reached under his garment and pulled out a locket with a picture of a woman and her son. "I promise, mother…" He whispered, sadly. "I won't let it happen again…"

 **To Be Continued!**

* * *

 **Rip Summers(Cable/Rip Hunter)**

 **Billy Lawson(Walter Lawson/Billy Batson)**

 **Madam Mystique(Mystique/Madam Rouge)**

 **Behemoth(Blob/Mammoth)**

 **Gremlin(Toad/Gizmo)**

 **Tremor(Avalanche/Terra)**

 **Jadestar(Quicksilver/Aurora/Jade)**

 **Darkstar(Scarlet Witch/Northstar/Obsidian)**

 **El Piro(Pyro/El Diablo)**

 **Wilson Lehnsherr aka Deathgrip(Magneto/Deathstroke)**


	35. The Brotherhood part 2

**Chapter XIV: The Brotherhood of Evil Muta-Humans! Part 2**

 **Niles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters**

Shayera Worthington, better known as Dove, grumbled as she walked down the hallway, paying no attention to the students staring at her underwear. Mostly because she didn't have the energy to care. It was bad enough that her wings made it impossible to lie down on her back, but now she was milking a pounding headache. _Perhaps that third bottle was a bad idea…_ She thought to herself. When she finally reached the kitchen, she was greeted by her best friend, Bobbi Olafsdotter.

"It's 1:30 in the afternoon…" She stated plainly as she munched on a sandwich.

"It's _Saturday_ , Ice Maiden, I'm allowed to sleep in." She groaned and scratched her rear end. She was disappointed by the refrigerator's contents. "Why is there never any liquor in this kitchen?"

"This is a _school_ , Shayera."

"Well, do we have anything stronger than _milk_ and _orange juice?_ "

"Uh, yeah, actually… I think Garth keeps coffee grounds on the top left shelf."

Shayera silently thanked Bobbi and made herself a fresh pot. After a few sips, she was feeling much better. "Can I ask _why_ you've been drinking so heavily?" Shayera sighed deeply.

"I tried talking to my mom again last night. God knows _why_."

"Oh…" Bobbi's heart sank. "I don't get it. How can a woman _hate_ muta-humans so much, when her own _daughter_ is-?"

" _That's_ the problem; _having_ a muta-human for a daughter." The two stood in uncomfortable silence for what felt like an eternity. With another sip of her coffee, Shayera changed the subject. "So, do your parents know _your_ dirty little secret?"

"What, that I'm a lesbian?"

Shayera pinched the bridge of her nose before flashing a sarcastic smile. " _Yes_ , that you're a _lesbian_ – NO, THAT YOU'RE A FUCKING MUTA-HUMAN!"

" _Okay_ , you don't have to _shout!_ " Bobbi held up her hands defensively. "Yes, they do."

"Okay… wait, that you're a muta-human or a lesbian?"

" _Both_ … I even introduced them to my girlfriend, Amara De Costa."

"The Spanish teacher? _Nice!_ " Bobbi smiled and continued to munch on her sandwich. Just then, a devious idea crawled into Shayera's head. "Hey, have you two… well, I mean, have you tried to… you know…" She made scissors with her fingers and put them together as she wiggled an eyebrow.

Bobbi's entire face went red. "That's none of your _business!_ "

"Okay, _okay!_ I'm sorry, it's just… as your friend, I'm a little _concerned_." She slowly inched towards the doorway, her smug grin still on her lips. "Y'know, I'd hate to wake up one morning and… find out she died of _frostbite_." Shayera bolted for the door, and Bobbi angrily chased after her.

"I'll show _you_ frostbite!"

The winged muta laughed hysterically as she dodged snowball after snowball. But the laughter soon came to an end when the two women were greeted by a tattooed man and a blonde woman.

"Who the hell are you?"

* * *

 **The Westchester Mall**

"That's _horrible_ , I'm so sorry…" Billy Lawson frowned as he walked with Sooraya through the busy shopping center. Although she had just met the boy, Sooraya felt that she could trust him with her story. She told him about how she lost her parents at a young age and was kept as a slave. Of course, she was cautious enough to leave out the details of her powers and how she came to America. Billy proved himself to be a very kind-spirited individual, listening with an open mind and an open heart. "Oh, I know _just_ what you need right now!" He ran over to one of the mall's vendors and came back with two cups.

"Here!" He handed one to his new friend with a smile on his face.

"What is it?" She asked as she held it with both hands.

"It's _ice cream!_ " He demonstrated by taking a spoonful and munching on it happily. "Trust me, Sooraya; you _definitely_ want some ice cream."

Sooraya looked down at the cup, its label read; "chocolate chip cookie dough." She pulled the cloth away from her mouth and took a bite. Her eyes widened in surprise as the flavor danced across her taste buds. "That's so _good!_ " She quickly gobbled up the rest of her ice cream and thanked Billy for buying it for her.

"THERE SHE IS!"

Before either of the two teens could react, Sooraya was tackled to the ground by a Latino boy and an African-Japanese girl. Billy was prepared to step in but two adults quickly blocked his way. " _Holy Moley!_ How many people wanna _hurt_ this girl?" He exclaimed.

"Don't you _ever_ scare us like that again, chica!" Cisco scolded his roommate.

"What the hell is _wrong_ with you, Nimbus?!" Noriko was equally terrified. "What if we hadn't found you in time?! And why are you hanging around with this…" Noriko looked up and saw Billy. A sly grin spread across her lips as she unbuttoned the top of her blouse. "Well, _hell-oooooooh_ there, sexy!"

The boy blushed brightly as Noriko showed off three-quarters of her cleavage. The older dark-skinned woman rolled her eyes and pulled her away from the traumatized boy. After forcing her student to button her shirt back up, Ororo turned her attention to the other girl. "Sooraya, who is this?"

"This is Billy." Sooraya stepped in front of him. "We met on the subway. Billy, these are my teachers; Mr. Wagner and Ms. Mardon. And these are my roommates; Noriko and Cisco."

"Aw, you made a friend!" Cisco smiled.

"A friend who apparently likes _jewelry_." Noriko's eyebrow rose up as she gazed at the golden bracelets hidden under the sleeves of his hoodie. Billy quickly stretched his sleeves over the armbands, as if he needed to keep them secret.

Edward decided to cut in. "Thank you, for looking after our student, Mr…?"

"Lawson. Billy Lawson." He shook Edward's hand when an idea popped into his head. "Hey, y'know, now that my uncle has a job, he's been trying to find a school for me. Do you think I could enroll at yours?"

"Well, you see, William…" Ororo tried to think of an excuse. "It's more of a _special needs_ school."

"Oh… well, you three look pretty normal to me." The Refugees grinned, simultaneously. That little comment actually made them feel like they weren't freaks. After consulting the teachers, Sooraya invited Billy to spend the rest of the day with them.

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the ground and the group heard screams coming from the other end of the mall. Edward ordered the children to wait where they were, grabbed Ororo, and teleported them away to inspect the problem.

Darkstar and Jadestar, the Brotherhood's prized twins, reveled in the helpless screams of the humans. They had been ordered by their father to cause as much damage as they possibly could, an order that they were both happy to oblige. "Gremlin! Behemoth!" Darkstar ordered. "Jadestar and I will handle the North side; you two take the South and wipe out _every_ antagonist you see!"

"Wait, uh…" Behemoth's brain strained as he scratched his head. "What do 'antagonists' look like?"

"Anybody who's not a _four-foot techno-frog_ or a _seven-foot hairy fatass!_ " Darkstar snapped. He muttered to himself as his allies nodded and headed off. Now that the idiots were gone, the sinister muta unleashed the full power of his cloak. Darkness fell upon the area, blinding everyone unfortunate enough to be within range. Their bodies began to rot away in a slow and agonizing fashion, and it brought wicked glee to the pitch-black muta.

Jadestar, his sister, took a different approach. Using her power of light-speed, she zipped around the mall. Her protective aura made it easy for her to crush everything in her path, whether it be vendors, walls, or people. The swift muta took pride in her destructive work, laughing maniacally as her green skin was stained red. For a brief second, the twins didn't care about what their father thought of them.

Without warning, Jadestar narrowly dodged a lightning bolt that made her crash into her brother. They could hardly believe their eyes when they saw two X-Patrolmen gazing grimly at them. "Well, _well_ … if it isn't the _lovebirds_ of the X-Patrol!" Jadestar goaded.

"How long has it been since we were expelled, Tempest?" Darkstar added on.

"I wish I could say I was sorry we sent you away, Todd…" Tempest's eyes turned milky white as the wind picked up. "But the words would probably _choke me_."

"Alright, are we just going to stand around all day, or are we going to fight?" Jadestar cackled with emerald energy.

Darkstar advanced towards Nightcaster, who teleported out of the way just in time. Clouds of smoke and murky blackness quickly filled the area. Tempest took the offensive with a concentrated thunderstorm aimed at Jadestar. Multiple lightning bolts flashed after the swift female, but she evaded every blow in the time it took Tempest to blink. Before the last bolt made contact with the ground, Jadestar caught it, and threw it back at her enemy. Tempest managed to duck, but she was unaware that Nightcaster had teleported behind her. Darkstar used that to his advantage of the distraction and struck Tempest from behind. The X-Patrolmen lay battered and weary on the ground as the twins surrounded them.

"You didn't see that coming?" Jadestar laughed, reigniting the fire in Tempest's belly.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gremlin and Behemoth were causing as much damage as possible on their own. Gremlin hovered around with his remote-controlled jet-pack, using his prehensile tongue to pick up civilians and throw them away. Behemoth's girth was matched only by his incredible strength, smashing and crushing everything he could reach. Much to the Refugees' surprise, Billy stepped out in front of the rampaging muta-humans. He rolled up the sleeves of his hoodie, revealing the gilded armbands on his wrists. "I was hoping I'd have a little more time to train…" He muttered to himself before raising his fists over his head. "SH-!"

He was cut off when Sooraya shifted into her sand-form and snatched him out of the way. This action made Billy freeze from pure shock. Gremlin took notice of this and whipped his prehensile tongue in their direction. Noriko gripped it tightly and sent a steady stream of electricity into the reptilian muta. Gremlin crashed into his partner and they soon found themselves surrounded by walls of solid light. The shoppers watched in awe at the spectacular display as up-beat techno music filled the air, all thanks to Cisco.

The Refugees walked through the lights and Cisco used his powers to amplify his voice. "Yo, wassup, shoppers of Westchester?! Lemme tell you what it is, _what it is!_ For the very _first time_ , _Stereo_ has taken the stage! And here to help me out; my _main women;_ my _sistahs_ from other _mistahs;_ the greatest _gals_ you'll ever _meet;_ Sandstorm and Sureshock!" Cisco smiled in a goofy fashion as he held up his hands, hoping for a dual high-five. But all he got was a pair of annoyed glares. "Okay, yeah, let's just fight." He conceded.

In a blind fury, Behemoth charged at the trio with Gremlin close behind. Sandstorm and Sureshock dashed to the sides of Stereo's solid-light cage, leaving the musical muta to rush forward. At the last minute, Stereo slid under Behemoth and fired a blast of sound waves from his palms, sending the giant toppling over.

Unfortunately, that left him open to Gremlin's attack. "Do you what happens to a gremlin if it eats past midnight?" He cackled before grabbing Stereo with his tongue and thrashing him around. Sandstorm tried to fly up and help him, but Gremlin's thrusters scattered her around the ring. Sureshock's fingertips cackled with blue energy, but the slippery muta threw her friend at her and they both lay helpless on the ground.

"Alright, now I'm _pissed!_ " Stereo converted the sound waves around him into beams of pure light, hoping to blind his enemy. But Gremlin simply placed dark goggles over his eyes and delivered a roundhouse kick to the boy.

"Don't you know what happens to a gremlin when he's exposed to bright lights?!" He continued to mock his foe. Stereo pushed himself up and spun in the air, and danced around Gremlin's attacks to tire him out.

Sandstorm had finally pulled herself together and noticed Sureshock fighting Behemoth. She flew down at the angry muta and circled around his head, blocking his view. Sureshock took advantage of the distraction and placed both palms on Behemoth's massive stomach. After the powerful surge had subsided, Behemoth fell to the ground and Sandstorm went over to help Stereo.

Gremlin had finally managed to pin Stereo to the ground and revealed his sharp teeth. Stereo closed his eyes and waited for the end, but it never came. Gremlin trembled with fear as a tornado of sand surrounded him, sucking away the oxygen. "Do you know what happens to a gremlin when it is hit with a sand blast?" He heard a voice call out. "The same thing that happens to everything else…" With that, Sooraya hit Gremlin with the force of a cinder block. Cisco dropped the light cage and the Refugees immediately noticed the people staring at them. But instead of hateful slurs or fearful screams, they heard grateful cheers and hollers of bravo.

"Is it okay that I'm _loving_ this?" Cisco whispered to Noriko.

"Yes and no. But mostly _yes_."

Although Cisco and Noriko were enjoying this immensely, Sooraya ignored the cheers and ran over to her new friend. "Billy, are you okay?"

"Sooraya, you-you're a muta-human?" The Afghan girl nodded in shame. "That… is … _awesome!_ "

Before anything else could be said, Darkstar flew from around the corner, carrying his unconscious sister. Tempest and Nightcaster appeared out of thin air just as the dark muta reached his two allies. "This isn't the end…" Those were his final words before his cloak wrapped around the Brotherhood and they disappeared.

"That was odd…" Tempest contemplated. "They usually put up more of a fight than that…" And that's when it hit her; these four were merely a distraction to keep them away. "Edward, we have to get back to the school, now!"

* * *

 **Meanwhile, back at the School…**

"Amara!" Bobbi shouted out as she lead the younger students to the secret exit way. Amara and Henrik had already helped the others escape and were waiting for everyone else. "Take these kids, and get them somewhere safe!"

"Wait, we can help you!" Henrik protested as the bio-steel began to coat his flesh.

"Help _them!_ " Bobbi ordered and created a wall of solid ice to keep them back. The X-Patrolwoman crouched down into a fighting stance just as Deathgrip floated around the corner.

"Fear not, Ms. Olafsdotter…" His voice echoed from his helmet. "We're not here for the _children_. Niles has something I _need_."

Ice Maiden rushed at her team's oldest foe, only to be struck down by a powerful blow to the jaw. Using his magnetic powers, Deathgrip bore his way into Xavier's private lab and approached the mento computer.

"If they can't accept us… they'll _become_ us…"

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Amara De Costa aka Lava(Magma/Fire)**


	36. The Brotherhood part 3

**Author's note: A friend pointed out that I shouldn't make politicians in this story sound too similar to real politicians. So, from now on, Sen. Fence is Sen. Francs.**

 **Chapter XIV: The Brotherhood of Evil Muta-Humans! Part 3**

 **Washington, D.C. The White House**

President Catlin Walter walked into the oval office with an exhausted look on her face. Despite winning the popular vote, most of the American populace still didn't like the idea of a Native American woman being president. Now she was put in an impossible situation; if the Muta-human Registration Act had gotten enough positive votes, it would be up to her to pass it. But the truth was; she wanted to give the muta-humans the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, no one else in Congress, save for a few members of her respective party, felt the same way.

When she walked into the office, she noticed that everyone inside was frozen in place. Walters waved her hand in front of one senator's face, thinking it would entice a reaction. But no matter what she did, they wouldn't move.

"Good evening, Madam President." Walters spun around on her heels in shock. Right behind her was an elderly balding man in a wheelchair.

"I recognize you…" Walters gasped. "You're Professor Niles Xavier."

"I'm afraid we have no time for pleasantries, Madam President. I believe your life may be in danger." As Xavier explained the situation, he sent a mental command all the way back to Westchester. _To me, my X-Patrol._

 **Unknown location in Delaware: Three Hours Earlier**

Senator Francs had been tugging at the ropes around his wrists for some time now. He had no idea what Deathgrip and his freaks had planned for him, but he wasn't going to stick around to find out. At last, he had managed to loosen the ropes and got up from his chair. Laughing hysterically at his own success, Francs barely managed to take four steps before Jadestar appeared right in front of him. In a flash of green light, Francs found himself back in the chair, with the ropes tied even tighter.

"Going somewhere?" Jadestar crossed her arms.

"No…" Francs lied. The emerald muta's eyebrow lifted up. " _Yes_. What do you freaks expect me to do? What do you even _want_ with me?!"

His question was soon answered as Deathgrip and other members of the Brotherhood entered the room. Deathgrip removed his helmet and addressed his guest. "You should feel _honored_ , Senator Francs." He said with a sinister grin. "My friend Gremlin has a theory about genetics that _you_ are going to help him with."

At the wave of his hand, Deathgrip summoned the shortest muta to his side. He carried a strange device over to them and planted it right in front of Francs. With the push of a button, the machine hummed to life, and a stream of light pierced Francs' skin. For three minutes, he was bathed in the warm light until the reptilian muta shut the machine off.

At first, nothing happened and Francs felt a small amount of relief. But then, the entire room was filled with the triumphant laughter of the mutated terrorists. Francs' anxiety spiked; he demanded to know what they were laughing at. Darkstar was the first to stifle his laughter and so he volunteered to explain the situation. Lifting up a portion of his cloak, he focused enough of its darkness into a reflective surface, revealing the senator's face to him.

And then Francs screamed. "WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU _DONE_ TO ME?!" His flesh had been transformed into a rugged, leathery complexion.

"Gremlin…" Deathgrip smiled. "This is _your_ shining moment. Would you be so kind as to tell Senator Francs about your discovery?"

"My _pleasure!_ " Gremlin cackled. You see, Senator, many years ago, I hypothesized that within _every_ human being possesses a dormant _muta-gene_ that will transform them into muta-humans! The light show you just witnessed was actually concentrated doses of radiation that _unlocked_ your muta-gene! This device, combined with the mento computer from Xavier's school, will make _everyone in the world_ like us!"

"Let me out of _here!_ " Francs demanded.

"That would be rather _pointless_ , don't you think, Senator?" Deathgrip chuckled. "After all, who would help you now that you've become _one of us?_ " With a wave of his hand, Deathgrip dismissed his followers, leaving him alone with the mutated politician. "By now you _undoubtedly_ see me as a _monster_ , Senator…" His expression became more menacing as his eye pierced Francs' soul. "But I've _met_ some of history's greatest monsters. And they _all_ started out just like _you_ …"

Francs felt a sharp pain in his chest and began to choke. "But people like _you_ don't like to _learn_ from _history_ , so perhaps instead you'd like a lesson in _biology_." Francs tried to speak, but it felt as if his throat was closing up. "Do you know _why_ blood is red? It's because it contains _iron_. Not much, but enough for me to reach out and manipulate." Deathgrip's hand was now a few inches away from his victim's chest, and it appeared that something was trying to break free from his body. "When you get to Hell, Francs… tell them _Maxine Eisenhardt's_ son sent you." At last, Francs' heart burst from his chest and flew into the muta's grip.

* * *

 **Westchester, NY: Present**

After Nightcaster, Tempest, and the Refugees had returned to the school, they were shocked to see how much damage had been inflicted. Sooraya used her powers to drift through tight areas and find survivors and Tempest summoned strong winds to lift the debris. At last, they reached the bunker. Meanwhile, the teleporting muta found a familiar face lying unconscious on the ground.

"Bobbi! Are you alright?" Nightcaster checked on his old friend. After giving her a few gentle shakes, Ice Maiden finally stirred.

"I'm _fine_ , Ed…" The Norwegian groaned as she rubbed her head, cringing at the feel of unsterilized blood on her palm. "Just a little _cut_. Where're the kids? Where're Amara and Henrik?"

Her worries were soon put to rest when Tempest called them over to her. Henrik was in his steel form, holding up the debris so that the students could safely climb to the surface. Bobbi was relieved to see Amara, helping a wounded Shayera to safety. Just as things started to calm down, Edward saw Raymond's car approaching. The Summers family was dumbfounded at the sight of the ruined school. Lilith looked like she was on the verge of tears as she cradled Rip close to her chest. Ray rushed to see that his brother was safe, and then checked with everyone else.

" _To me, my X-Patrol…"_ Niles' voice echoed throughout their minds, warning them of the coming threat. Ray, Lilith, and Shayera glanced at Edward, Ororo, and Bobbi. The six friends nodded in silent understanding.

"Amara! Henrik! Come with us!" Ray shouted. "Grant, stay here and keep the others safe!"

"Where are _you_ going?"

Unfortunately, Grant didn't get an answer. Amara and Henrik were given standard flight suits inside the X-Jet and Lilith took the controls. When they finally got in the air, Tempest explained the situation to their newest teammates. Safe to say they were both surprised and afraid.

"Madre de Dios!" Amara cried. "This whole thing is _muy loco!_ You're tellin' me some group called 'the Brotherhood of Muta-Humans' took somethin' called 'the mento helmet,' an' now they're gonna use it to do God-knows-what in Washington D.C.?!"

"Yes!" Dove snapped as she adjusted her cowl. "Tempest just _said_ all that! And why are you making quote marks in the air?"

"I believe she is trying to cope with the stress." Henrik replied calmly. "My name shall be Comrade Steel."

"Excuse me?" Nightcaster craned his head.

"My X-Patrol codename. Comrade Steel." He activated his powers for emphasis.

"Okay, sure, _whatever_ , you're Comrade Steel." Dove rolled her eyes.

 **Washington D.C.**

Over thirty soldiers stood outside the President's oval office, waiting for the threat to appear. Garth stood close to his mentor, prepared to shed his skin if the need arose. The only sound in the room was a ticking clock, as everyone else was speechless. But their patience wouldn't last.

"This is ridiculous!" One Senator finally said. "If these terrorists were going to attack us, they would have done so by no-!"

The entire room shook with a devastating force, as if something were pulling it out of the building. The White House's foundation fell apart, and everyone screamed in panic. The oval office soared through the air, crashed through the gate, and landed just a few yards away from the reflective pool. Niles lay helpless on the ground as he saw Deathgrip break the room to pieces. The rest of the Brotherhood had gathered up ever news reporter and cameraman they could find, ordering them to broadcast their leader's message across the world.

"For _centuries_ , those who are different have been met with unrelenting bigotry." Deathgrip's helmet lifted off of his head revealing his calm demeanor. But Niles knew that his calm hid a storm. "I learned that _myself_ when my mother and I were captured in Poland. They took our _home_ , they took my _mother_ , and then they took my _eye_. This has _gone on_ for _years_. Because you _homo sapiens_ always fear that which you do not _understand_. But my brothers and sisters are here to tell you – to tell the _world_ – you will soon have _nothing_ to fear! We are the _future!_ We are the ones who shall inherit this Earth!" Gremlin giddily fiddled with his invention, preparing to activate it.

"Shut it down, _now!_ " The Brotherhood turned to see the X-Patrol standing before them. Blaster led the group, his fingers gingerly brushing against his visor. "You're not gonna hurt anyone else, Deathgrip!"

"Oh, _come now_ …" Deathgrip reasoned. "Surely, _you_ , of _all people_ can appreciate what we're doing. Just _imagine;_ everyone who _feared_ you, everyone who _hated_ you, they will all _become_ you! _Everyone_ on this planet will be mutated, just like _us!_ Now, are you _really_ going to stop us?"

"No…" Blaster answered. "Not _stop_ you…" A powerful beam of optic blasts sent Deathgrip flying into the arms of his allies. " _Crush you!_ X-Patrol, _attack!_ " The two groups charged at one another, unaware that the cameramen were still filming.

Tempest and Nightcaster once again attacked Darkstar and Jadestar. But this time, the X-Patrolmen stuck close together, just as they had since entering the school. It didn't take long for them to put their former students in their place. "Let them _go_ , Edward!" the shape-shifting muta known as Madam Mystique stepped toward the teleporter.

"I will _never_ follow your command again, wretch!" Edward snarled.

"Oh, c'mon! Is that any way to speak to your _mother?_ "

"I don't _have_ a mother! I have a _family_."

"Do you mean the _entire_ X-Patrol, or just that Kenyan _whore?_ "

Edward's eyes flared with anger as he teleported him and Mystique around the area multiple times, punching her in the face each time. "That's! My! _WIFE!_ " When Nightcaster let his foe's unconscious body fall to the ground, Tempest walked over and kissed him on the cheek. "You're _cute_ when you get protective."

Ice Maiden and Amara were up against Tremor and El Fuego. Amara transformed her entire body into solid magma and went up against Tremor. Ice Maiden and El Fuego canceled each other out with streams of fire and ice, until they got a good look at each other's faces.

" _Juan?_ "

"Bobbi?"

"Oh, my God! I haven't seen you since-!"

"Graduation!"

"I thought you got _deported!_ "

"I came _back!_ "

"Man, good to see you…" The old friends hugged each other. "But still…" Bobbi knocked Juan out cold with a single punch, then she went to help her girlfriend.

Comrade Steel and Dove were busy with Behemoth, unaware that Gremlin was close to activating his machine. But before he could throw the final switch, a scaly fist struck the back of his head. Creature gathered up all of his strength and brought both of his fists down on the machine until it was destroyed. Deathgrip saw this and he was angered. Summoning shards of scrap, he created a metal maelstrom around the X-Patrol's top scientist. Luckily, Blaster spotted him and with a precise hit, he blasted Deathgrip's helmet off.

"He's all yours, Omen!" Omen reached out with her mind, ceasing control of their enemy. Deathgrip redirected his metal shards and used them to restrain the Brotherhood. Just then, Tempest and Nightcaster carried Xavier out into the open, with a group of soldiers close behind them. Omen released Deathgrip's mind, and the muta-human terrorist looked around. He sighed in defeat as his gaze fell upon Niles.

"If you let them take us, we're as good as _dead_. You _know_ that."

"I _know_ …" Niles complied.

"Goodbye, old friend." Deathgrip began to lift his Brotherhood away.

"Goodbye, Wilson…" Was all Niles could say in return.

* * *

 **Later, Back at Westchester**

"And after the heroic display by the group known as the X-Patrol, President Walters has permanently suspended the Muta-Human Registration Bill." The broadcast gave everyone in the school a spark of hope. Niles Xavier wheeled himself into his private study, thinking that they had come much closer to achieving his dream.

Rebuilding the school was easier than anyone expected, thanks to Omen's telekinetic abilities. All the students had been returned to their dorms, including the Refugees. Ororo and Edward personally saw to it that they went to bed on time.

"So, Nimbus…" Noriko said. "What happened to Billy? Is he cool with you being a muta _and_ a Muslim?"

"I don't _think so_ …" Sooraya said sadly. "After I explained what _really_ brought me to this country he went back to Fawcett City with his uncle."

"He didn't say anything to you?" Cisco's heart sank for his friend.

"No, he just _smiled_ and walked away after giving me this code." She held up a piece of paper to her roommates. At first, they looked shocked, but then a broad smile crept over Noriko's lips and she started to giggle.

"Oh, my God… _Oh_. _My. God._ She doesn't even know what that _is!_ Oh… _my God!_ "

"What? What's so funny?" Sooraya sounded genuinely puzzled.

"Sooraya! That's his _phone number!_ " Cisco laughed. "He wants you to call him and talk to him on the phone!"

Sooraya looked back down at the paper in her hand, and smiled contently.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Stay tuned for a very exciting one-shot episode, as we finally reveal the secret origin of EOBARD SHCMIDT AKA RED ZOOM, THE REVERSE-FLAG!**


	37. Red Zoom's Wrath

**Author's Note: The following chapter will go in chronologic order of an actual timeline, But not in the chronologic order that applies to Red Zoom's life. That's the best way I can explain it, sorry. Just read, you'll figure it out.**

 **Chapter XV: Red Zoom's Wrath! (An Interlude)**

 **Brooklyn, New York City, NY. July 7, 1928**

Red Zoom rushed towards the house of Joseph and Nora Allen. His target; their ten-year-old son, Steven. It was the perfect crime; if he could kill Allen before he became the Flag, the resistance would never be created, and he could rule the future with an iron fist. But when he reached his destination, his body began to fade away. The closer he stepped towards the house, the quicker he deteriorated. Only when he took a few steps back did his body regain its solid structure.

Suddenly it occurred to him; without the Flag, the Reverse-Flag couldn't exist. An enraged scream filled the night air. But Red Zoom would not admit defeat. If he couldn't kill the Flag, he would make his life a living hell. He broke the door down with one swift motion, and circled around Nora at a blinding speed. Steven was awoken by the disturbance and rushed down to the living room. Joseph called out to his son, telling him to run away and get help. Joseph never laid a hand on Zoom, he was knocked unconscious by one blow. The last thing Nora saw before a knife pierced her heart was her beautiful son crying out to her.

 **Siberia, Russia. November 20, 1942**

The Allied Forces had received word that a secret Nazi regiment had set up camp in the outskirts of a major city in Russia, preparing to attack the Soviet Union. A brigade of twenty soldiers was sent to intercept them before they could do any damage. Led by Sgt. Rock, they snuck through the woods, trudging through deep snow and pitch-black darkness until they found the camp. Everyone was cold and exhausted, but they steeled their nerves for the approaching battle. They aimed their rifles and investigated the tents. But to everyone's shock, the camp was completely empty.

 **("Good evening, gentlemen.")** Everyone turned around to see a man in a black trench coat, his body vibrating so fast that his whole body became a blur. A Swastika brandished with a red lightning bolt was the only distinguishing feature that the soldiers could make out. But that soon changed when a red, skull-shaped helmet wrapped around his head.

One soldier was shell shocked at the sight of red lightning zooming around his fellow soldiers, killing them all in the blink of an eye. At last, the man in the red helmet stopped in front of the last living soldier and lifted him up into the air.

 **"I want you to deliver a very important** _ **message**_ **for me."** The soldier trembled at the sound of his enemy's menacing tone. **"You will report back to your superiors and you will tell them that without your new living weapon,** _ **the Flag**_ **, your Allied Forces will** _ **never**_ **win this war. So, tell him to stop fighting that alien and get over seas."** The soldier fell to the ground, breathing heavily as the mystery man disappeared.

One week later, news of 'Red Zoom' spread throughout the world. America and England were both nervous, France was considering surrender, and even Joseph Stalin had taken extreme measures to keep himself and his high-ranking officers safe. The soldier who delivered the report was honorably discharged and sent home. As he locked the door to his apartment, he recalled how everyone in the trenches considered him to be the lucky one.

 **"Thank you, my friend."** That was the last thing he heard before Red Zoom's gauntlet tore through his chest.

 **Oahu, Island in the Pacific Ocean. November 20, 1945**

The Anti-Watcher's planet-eating canon exploded just as the Flag disappeared. When Hyperman landed, tears ran down his cheeks when he saw his friend's star-spangled uniform, empty and discarded. The Anti-Watcher recovered soon after, only to be met with a pair of glowing, red eyes.

"That was my best friend…" Anti-Watcher choked as strong fingers wrapped around his throat. "And you just _killed him!_ " Hyperman flew his enemy into space, unaware that Red Zoom was watching from afar. And he was furious.

He had spent years waiting for the right moment to kill the Flag, and now his chance was taken from him. Despite his rage, he allowed logic to dictate his actions. First, he would return to the future to see if the timeline had been altered. Then, depending on those changes, he would calculate his next course of action. Red lightning cackled around him as he sped across the vast ocean. But then, just as he approached the optimum speed required to break the time barrier, his powers disappeared. The laws of inertia state that an object in motion stays in motion until acted upon by an outside force, and Zoom was moving at seven hundred miles an hour.

Red Zoom skidded over the water for hours until he stopped just one mile off of a Hawaiian beach. When he finally reached the shore, he fell to his knees from exhaustion. Coughing and spluttering, he took off his helmet and activated his suit's built-in computer.

"Aya, what's happening to me?" He couldn't even vibrate his vocal chords anymore.

" _It would appear that you extended time in the past has severed your connection to the Speed Force."_

"That's _impossible!_ "

" _You can no longer travel at super-sonic speed unless you come into contact with a strong Speed Force conduit."_

"How am I supposed to get home?!"

" _You can't."_

"FLAAAAAAAG!" Red Zoom cursed his foe. Even in death, the Flag had defeated him.

Months passed, and Zoom had finally managed to return to the site of the Flag's death. Fortunately, he had brought many tools from his own time period, so he wasn't completely helpless. The pieces of the Anti-Watcher's cannon was still scattered all over the island, and Zoom used his advanced technology to study the residual energy.

What he discovered was incredible; the Flag hadn't died, but instead his body had been converted into pure Speed Force energy that was now trapped in suspended animation. If he could tap into the Speed Force with an inter-dimensional explosion, he could free the Flag and regain his powers. But the technology needed to do that wouldn't be invented for another eight decades.

"Hello, Eobard Shcmidt." Zoom spun around on his heels to see a colossal, gray-skinned being with glowing red eyes.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?"

"I am Darkanos. Fallen god of Evil. And I would like to offer you a deal."

 **Tallahassee, FL. July 4, 2003**

"So, I was thinking about calling our company 'Scientific and Technologic Advancements in Research Laboratories.' Or 'STAR Labs,' because _you_ are the _star_ of my life." Tess Storm said lovingly at her fiancée, Harrison Richards. Her brother, Johnny Storm, was fast asleep in the back of their car, right next to Harrison's best friend, Ben Grimm.

"I like it." Harrison smiled. Everyone that he loved was right with him at that moment, and thanks to the grant he had just earned, they could all kick-start their dream and be together for the rest of their lives.

"I'm kinda tired…" Tess yawned. "When we get back to the apartment, I think I'm just gonna put on my pajamas and go to bed."

"Aw, _really?_ " Harrison sounded disappointed.

"No… definitely _not_ wearing pajamas."

"Hello!"

The couple was laughing so hard that they didn't notice the spikes on the road. The car skidded off the road and crashed into a tree. Ben hit his nose against the back of Harrison's seat, sending a bone into his brain. Johnny was a victim of whiplash, dying instantly. Harrison looked next to him and saw Tess' motionless body. He cried out for help, hoping that anyone was nearby. Just then, he heard footsteps getting closer to the wrecked vehicle. A blond man with blue eyes crouched down to inspect the passenger side.

"Oh, thank _God!_ Sir, please, you have to call an ambulance! My friends are hurt very badly! Please!" But the man just stared back at Harrison with a blank expression. "What are you waiting for?! Call an ambulance! She's _dying!_ "

"This woman has been dead for _centuries_." He said at last. Harrison continued to scream for help as the man opened his door and unbuckled his seatbelt. Harrison tried to get up and run, but his legs wouldn't respond to his brain's commands.

"Who _are_ you?!"

"Who _I_ am is not important." The man replied. "What _is_ important is who _you_ are; Harrison Richards."

"I-I don't understand…"

"Very well, allow me to elaborate. In the year 2026, you, your friends, and your wife will successfully invent a particle accelerator that will _revolutionize_ the way we use energy. _However_ …" He pulled a strange device out from his pocket and tapped on the buttons. "If my plan is to succeed, I'm going to need that to happen just a _little bit sooner_."

The man aimed the device at Harrison's chest and two wires pierced his skin. Simultaneously, two other wires pierced the mystery man's skin, and multiple jolts of electricity surged through their bodies. Harrison was dying, but the other man's body began to change; his facial features shifted, his skin color darkened, and his hair grew longer. This went on until the injured scientist lay dead on the ground and the man had become an exact copy of Harrison Richards.

 **New York City, NY. March 6, 2016**

STAR Labs was on the verge of their greatest achievement; the particle accelerator was reaching optimum power. Harrison Richards praised the work of his fellow scientists as he popped open a bottle of champagne. "Thank you all…" He said. "For your dedication to this project. Today, we have changed the way the _world_ uses its energy. I only wish that my _family_ could have been here tonight…" The room fell silent, paying respects to the three departed scientists whose pictures hung on the wall.

The large computer screen chirped, indicating that the particle accelerator had reached maximum efficiency. "I have waited _centuries_ for this moment." The others cheered in excitement, raising their glasses to their friend and director. Suddenly, the screen flashed a bright red warning, and the entire building shook. Everyone scrambled to their workstations, trying to identify the problem.

But Harrison already knew what was happening; his plan was underway. In approximately five minutes, the particle accelerator would tap into the Speed Force and pull the Flag's molecular structure free. He made his way down to a secret bunker where he waited patiently for what came next.

"Three… two… one…" Another explosion made him lose his balance and he fell to the ground. It took him a while to stand up, but when he did, he decided to put himself to the ultimate test. Focusing on his hand, he remembered every exercise he studied about channeling the Speed Force through his body. At last, his hand vibrated at a fantastic velocity, coaxing a wicked grin from his lips. The vibrations spread throughout his entire body until red lightning cackled over him.

 **"I'll see you soon, Herr Allen…"**

 **New York City, NY. Present Day**

"No…" Fear crept into Richards' chest as he watched the latest newsfeed. The X-Patrol were being hailed as heroes for defeating the Brotherhood of Muta-Humans. But according to the history he had studied, the X-Patrol were supposed to fight an ancient muta-human named En Savage Nur, who would then reveal the Soul Ring to the world. "No, no, no, no, no, this can't be happening…" As he tried to figure out what went wrong, he saw a picture of Deathgrip without his helmet. Harrison's heart stopped for a moment; that was the face of the boy he experimented on in Poland. "Oh, God… I've changed too much of history… what have I done?"

The Mother Box activated, indicating that Darkanos wanted to speak with him. Harrison tapped the emblem on his medallion, and he transformed into Red Zoom. The Mother Box displayed a hologram of the fallen god. "Eobard Shcmidt… you said that the X-Patrol's battle would reveal the location of the Soul Ring! Where is it?!"

 **"Please, Lord Darkanos…"** Zoom quivered. **"Something is wrong with history. I will fix this. I just need more time-"**

"I HAVE GIVEN YOU ENOUGH TIME!" Darkanos' voice boomed before he regained his composure. "Our deal still stands… Deliver to me the Soul Ring and I shall grant you the power to kill the Flag… But I am going to help you speed up your efforts… Run, Eobard… _run_ …"

The hologram faded away and Zoom was left alone. But not for long. A low rumble started to creep into the house. The ground started to tremble as it grew louder. Suddenly, Zoom heard an inhuman roar from the distance, and he sped away, running as fast as he could. He didn't dare look back.

* * *

 **(…)**

 **(…)**

 **(…)**

 **Berlin, Germany. July 4, 2918**

Approximately one thousand years after Steve Allen's birth, Eileen Shcmidt died giving birth to her son, Eobard. Her husband, Johann, went insane with the grief of losing his wife and tried to kill his child. The medical staff stopped him just in time and had him sent to an insane asylum. Having no other living relatives, young Eobard was placed in foster care.

 **Berlin, Germany. August 21, 2934**

Eobard Schmidt's hatred for others grew with each passing year. He had been rejected by countless families, suffered constant abuse from the other orphans, and even from the caretakers. The only joy he ever felt was in his studies. He loved learning about ancient history; how men could achieve such great power, despite their humble beginnings. He found great solace in reading about the greatest leaders of time: Genghis Khan, Attila the Hun, and Adolf Hitler. But the one he admired most of all was the one known as The Flag. After learning about the American soldier's incredible feats, Eobard swore to dedicate his life to unlocking the secrets of the Speed Force, and then he would become just like his idol.

 **Frankfurt, Germany. April 17, 2942**

He had done it. He couldn't believe that he'd truly achieved his life-long goal. After years of endless research, countless hours of experimentation, Eobard Shcmidt had finally replicated Professor Patricia Erskine's super-soldier serum. Next was finding a proper source of lightning.

He got his chance in the form of a very dark and stormy night. Setting up a modified electric chair, he adjusted the lightning rod to attract a perfect bolt exactly two minutes after the serum spread throughout his veins. He strapped himself to the chair, injected himself with the serum, and waited patiently for the lightning strike. His blood felt as if it were on fire, his fingers dug deep into the hard wood of the chair, and at last, the lightning struck.

Just as he thought he was about to die, everything slowed down. His movements appeared to surpass everything else. Gathering up all of his strength, he broke free from his restraints, cackling with red electricity. He smiled brightly at his personal victory, as he started making plans to overthrow the world.

 **Warsaw, Poland. October 11, 2951**

Eobard ran faster and faster, powered by pure hatred. But no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't escape his failure. The ants he sought to rule had formed an uprising, liberating countless cities and slaves in their foolish quest for freedom. Ironically, Eobard discovered that they had been inspired by the very person who had inspired him; the Flag.

So, now, he ran to break through the time barrier. He would find Steven Allen before he could become the Flag, kill him while he was still young, erase him from the timeline, and then, there would be no one to stop him. At last he reached New York City in 1928 and headed for Brooklyn.

 **"Time to die, Flag…"**

 **To Be Continued!**


	38. Velocity part 1

**Okay… this will undoubtedly be confusing, but… this chapter takes place during the Christmas season!... I know I'm weird, just roll with it.**

 **Chapter XVI: Velocity! Part 1**

 **Queens, NY. One Year Ago**

Jay Parker had been down on his luck ever since he was a kid. At the age of eighteen, he was drafted into the military, only to be discharged after suffering damage to his knee. Because of his injury, he had to give up his promising athletic career and take up a job as a warehouse night guard. When he turned forty-five, his younger brother and sister-in-law were convicted as enemy spies and imprisoned for treason, then killed by the inmates.

The only good things in his life were two people he loved the most. His wife, Joan; a beautiful, talented woman who loved him enough to stick with him through the tough times. And his nephew, Bart; a straight-A student who deserved more than he could provide for him. But now that Bart was in his third year in high school, he was undergoing drastic changes. Ever since he was bitten by that spider on his field trip, he had been acting radically different. Joan was beginning to worry, but Jay remained calm and planned to talk with him tonight.

He drove his sixteen-year-old nephew to the library on the edge of Queens. While they both knew that he could've just walked over by himself, Jay saw it as an opportunity to speak with him. When they finally arrived, Bart tried to get out quickly, but Jay locked the door.

"Not so fast, kiddo…" He said calmly. "I wanna talk to you."

"Why can't we talk later?" Bart groaned.

"Because we haven't talked in a _long time_ , Bart." Jay explained. "Your aunt and I are _worried_ about you. You've been skipping _classes_ , ignoring your _chores_ , starting fights in _school_ -"

"I didn't _start_ that fight! I _told_ you that!" Bart defended himself.

"Yeah, but you sure did _finish_ it." Jay sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Look, Bart… you've reached the age where a young man becomes the person he's gonna be for the rest of his life. I just want you to be careful about who you turn into. Now, this punk you beat up; he probably _deserved_ it. But just 'cause you _can_ do something, it doesn't mean you _should_. With _great power_ , comes _great responsibility_."

"Are you worried I'm gonna turn into a _criminal_ or something?" Bart sounded annoyed. "Look, I'm going through some _changes_ , but I'll _figure them out!_ Stop lecturing me!"

"I don't mean to lecture and I don't mean to _preach_." Jay tried to explain. "Now, I _know_ you don't like me talking to you like this. And I know I'm not your _father_ but-"

" _Exactly!_ So, stop _pretending_ to be!" Bart fumed. Jay looked hurt by what his nephew just said. Bart looked away from him, as if he were ashamed. Jay didn't press the argument any further; he just unlocked the door and let him step out. Bart nodded goodbye as he drove off, waiting for him to go around the corner before heading off towards the wrestling arena. Little did he know that that would be the last thing he ever said to his uncle.

* * *

 **S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters Present Day**

Red Zoom rushed into his private lab, retracted his uniform, and sat back down in his wheelchair. Whatever it was that was pursuing him, he had managed to escape it for now, thanks to the device he designed to detect his attacker whenever it got within five hundred miles of him. After making sure that his device's alarm was set, he carefully wheeled himself out into the open.

"Hey, Dr. Richards!" The scientist jumped and clenched his chest. Much to his relief, the voice came from his prized pupil; Speedster-Man. The fastest teen alive ran over to the crippled scientist, along with Gargoyle's protégé.

"Oh, Bartholomew…" He sighed, happily. "You _startled_ me. What can I do for you?"

"Okay, me and Dare have a scientific argument going on and we need _you_ to settle it for us!" Speedster-Man sounded excited as he pulled out twenty pages of notes.

" _Ugh_ , we don't need to bother him with _this!_ " Dare groaned. "Just check the _math!_ Your numbers don't add up!"

" _Uh,_ they do if you factor in the fluctuations of reproduction cycles in different seasons!"

"What exactly are we debating?" Richards interrupted as he cocked a curios eyebrow. Speedster-Man and Dare looked at each other with embarrassed expressions before Dare responded.

"Um… the total number of bugs Flag swallows in an average day of running."

Richards pursed his lips as he wrapped his mind around the absurd question. "I look forward to seeing you accept your Nobel." He quipped sarcastically before heading towards the main lab.

Just then, a trumpet blast echoed throughout the halls, getting closer and closer to the two teens. Bart instantly recognized it as the Flag coming to start today's training exercise. The star-spangled soldier appeared before them in the blink of an eye, still proudly playing Reveille.

"The fact that we heard that while you were moving at super-speed is very impressive, Captain." Dare commented.

"Thank you, Dare." Flag smiled brightly. "The trick is to vibrate my breath at the right frequency so that it still plays at an audible tone."

"So, what's planned for today, Flag?!" Bart was practically shaking with excitement. "Are you finally gonna teach me how to run on water? Or create tornados with my arms?"

"Actually, I thought Agent West* could teach you a thing or two about _self-defense_." Flag corrected. Bart groaned in defiance, but Steve wasn't going to have it. " _I'm_ your commanding officer, Bart. You're not ready for the big stuff yet, but you'll _get there_."

Bart decided not to argue any further. He realized that since the Flag was the only real Speed-Force expert around, he'd probably know what was best for him. And so, Steve led Bart and Tim to the facility's training center where Sharon took over for the rest of the day. He had to admit, sparring with Agent West while she used the Hornet suit gave him a great opportunity to exercise his accelerated-vision.

By the time training was over, Bart noticed it was almost time for dinner. He quickly thanked Steve and Sharon, rushed by Dr. Richards' lab to say goodbye, and the moment he stepped outside, he fired a web of pure light and swung off for home. Despite unlocking his full-potential with the Speed-Force, he still couldn't shake the habit of traveling via web-slinging. Truthfully, he couldn't wait to get home; tonight was the night NASA would broadcast its discovery in the asteroid belt. Supposedly, the team of astronauts had discovered a new element that would be brought back to Earth for study.

His boss' son, William White, was leading the expedition, meaning "Wonderful" Walter would undoubtedly clear any and all headlines to put his son on the front page. Ayesha, the trainee photographer, was assigned to take the photos when Will arrived at the Daily Times, so Bart was given a day off to spend with his friends and family.

When he got close to his aunt's house, he quickly changed into his street clothes and hid his costume in his backpack. After stepping through the front door, he was immediately greeted by an enthusiastic Joan Parker. "Bart, you'll never believe it; we finally found a tenant to rent the spare room!"

"That's great, Aunt Joan!" Bart smiled supportively. "When do I get to meet him?"

"Please, say 'hello' to Miss-" Joan motioned to a blonde girl around Bart's age with a pair of glasses resting on her nose. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail and she wore a modest one-piece dress.

"Felicity Stacy?" Bart interrupted with a wide grin.

"Bart?" The girl matched his smile.

"You two know each other?" Joan was very surprised.

" _Her_ school went to the same field trip _mine did_ last year when I got bitten by that spider."

"Do you still have the mark?" She asked.

"'Do I still have the mark?'" Bart repeated, sarcastically, before showing of the top of his hand. "What do you think _this_ is; a _dimple?_ " As the two friends caught up, Joan went into the kitchen to start making dinner. "So, how've you been?"

"Oh, fine, I guess…" She sighed softly. "My boyfriend _dumped_ me the other day."

"Oh, I'm sorry…"

"It's fine, _really_. We just wanted different things. I wanted to get _married_ after college, _he_ wanted to get _drunk_ and sleep with the cheerleaders…"

There was an awkward pause before Bart spoke up. "Well, I'm sure you'll meet someone else. There're plenty of decent folks at Mid-Town High. I'll introduce you to my friends and everything."

"Sounds like fun." Felicity smiled.

"And…" Bart sadly looked down at his hands. "For what it's worth, I know what it feels like to love someone who doesn't reciprocate it.

"That reminds me…" Joan called from the kitchen. "We're hosting our annual Christmas party next week. Perfect opportunity to bring a date."

" _Aunt Jooooooooan!_ " Bart grumbled in embarrassment.

The next day, Bart showed Felicity around Mid-Town High, especially the academic clubs. Suddenly, Bart's Accelerated-vision flared, but whenever this happened in school, it only meant one thing; Wilfred Brock. Brock snuck up behind him and pushed him down.

"Hey, Willie…" Bart groaned.

"That's for making 'em give my job to some Muslim, Parker!" Brock snapped. Bart was used to his bullying by now, but it was still frustrating that he couldn't defend himself, less he expose his powers. Brock picked him up by the scruff of his hoodie, looking to see that no one else could see them. He smiled as he saw that the only other person present was Felicity. "How's it feel knowin' you're gonna get your ass kicked in front of your new girlfri-?"

Brock stopped in mid-sentence as he felt something sharp prod at his back. **Felicity wrapped her arm around his neck and spoke with pure venom in her voice. "Okay, big-shot, now let go of him _right now_ before I turn you into a _pincushion_." Wilfred fearfully let go of Bart and slowly backed away as Felicity loosened her grip, revealing her switchblade.

"Let's see how the principle likes you carrying around a knife, _psycho-bitch!_ " Brock threatened.

"Oh, _really?_ " Felicity smiled smugly. "You're going to tell the _principle_ – who'll tell the _teachers_ and other _students_ – that you let a _skinny, bookish girl_ threaten you with a knife?" She tapped his nose for emphasis, making sure he knew he was defeated. "Doesn't sound like the smart thing to do." She wrapped her arm around Bart's shoulder, and the two friends walked off.

"That was… _severely crash._ " Bart breathed.

When the last class ended, the two friends walked out together, heading back to Queens. A few minutes later, Bart grinned happily as they were joined by Valerie Watson and Harry Griffon. While anyone else would think that they were strictly friends, Felicity noticed the way Bart looked at Valerie; the way his eyes looked into hers, the way his hands twitched when they got too close to hers, and the way his words ran together. _"For what it's worth, I know what it feels like to love someone who doesn't reciprocate it."_ Felicity smirked at the thought of Bart's words.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, in Manhattan**

Oswald Fisk, the third richest man in New York, had just finished up a meeting with the board of directors. Little did any of them realize that he was also the Emperor Penguin, one of the most infamous crime bosses on the East Coast. While his legitimate enterprises dealt with commercial businesses, his criminal enterprises dealt with sex trafficking and development of high-tech weapons. His elevator was currently taking him to his top scientist's laboratory.

Amunet Smythe; a brilliant woman who never allowed her paralysis limit her abilities. At age 16, she developed a formula for a new metal that she grafted to her spine, letting her walk again. At age 18, she was hired by Emperor Penguin to develop weapons for his empire. This job gave her a chance to improve her exo-skeleton; adding weaponry and physical enhancements. As Fisk walked into her lab, he headed directly to their current client; Maxwell Von Havoc.

"No, see that's actually a common _misconception_ , Ms. Smythe. My full name is Maxwell Von Havoc _Junior_. My _father_ is the one responsible for putting the 'MAX' in 'MAX Corp.'" Von Havoc explained, he enjoyed talking to fellow scientists.

"Mr. Von Havoc…" Fisk interrupted. "I believe you are here to make a deal with my enterprise."

"Indeed I _am_ , Oswald." Max paced around the lab as he spoke. "As you probably know, NASA's shuttle will be preparing to land at an airport in New York City. The astronauts have already sent pictures of the geological discovery, and I _want it_."

"You know what that rock is, don't you?" Smythe cocked an eyebrow.

"As a matter of fact…" Von Havoc smiled wickedly. "I stumbled upon a few notes from my father's previous battles with Hyperman. That _'rock'_ is Radonite X. A rare sub-category of the radioactive isotope from his home world. And according to my calculations, it not only has the power to weaken him, but take away his superhuman powers _permanently_."

"That sounds rather interesting…" Fisk grinned.

"Wait, if your father had a sample of Radonite X, why didn't _he_ use it?" Smythe's question seemed to anger Maxwell.

"Because my father was an egotistical _idiot_ who wanted to kill Hyperman as a _god_ instead of reducing him to a _human!_ " At the sight of their startled faces, Max regained his composure and continued. "You see, my… _associates_ and I wish to _study_ it in the event that Hyperman decides to go rogue."

"Hmmm… I suppose that _would_ be a good cause." Fisk said skeptically. It was always easy for him to tell when someone was lying.

"And, _of course_ , I'd be willing to pay you _handsomely_ for it." Max took a checkbook out of his coat and clicked a pen. "How many zeroes?"

"We can talk about that later…" Fisk smiled greedily. "I shall make a few calls of my own and see what I can do. I'll call you tomorrow when we have the Radonite X." Max nodded and made his way to the elevator. "A pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Von Havoc."

 **The Upper Atmosphere**

"Huston, this is Col. White, we will be landing in approximately one hour."

"Roger, Col. White, we'll see you there."

As the two astronauts prepared for their descent, they didn't notice the Radonite X. A blue slime began to ooze out of the element. The slime began to seep through the door and head towards the pilots. By the time they noticed it, it was already covering half of their bodies. Panic took over and the shuttle began to fall to Earth.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Felicity Stacy(Gwen Stacy/Felicity Smoak)**

 **Valerie Watson(Mary Jane Watson/Valerie Perez)**

 **Harry Griffon(Harry Osborn/Griffon Grey)**

 **Norman Griffon(Norman Osborn/Griffon Grey)**

 **Emperor Penguin aka Oswald Fisk(Kingpin/Penguin)**

 **Amunet Smythe(Alistair Smythe/Blacksmith)**

 **Wilfred Brock(Eddie Brock/Evil Eye)**

 **Notes: *After Emerald Man had a talk with the Flag about the Sexual Revolution in the 1960's, Steve has opened his mind about women's rights. I.E. Sharon keeping her last name even after marrying him.**

 ****Her character is a mixture of CW Felicity's personality, and Ultimate Gwen Stacy. She's a loveable smarty-pants most of the time, but if you piss her off, she'll do something brash.**


	39. Velocity part 2

**Chapter XVI: Velocity! Part 2**

 **The Daily Times Office Building, New York**

Everyone in the building had their eyes glued to the TV screens. Col. Will White's shuttle was about to land at New York City's national airport. Everyone was very proud, especially Walter. His employees had all congratulated him, although he didn't know why; he was just Will's father. While his friend, Snapper Robertson, claimed that he must've had something to do with how well Will turned out, Lois Brant thought the apple fell rather far from the tree.

Suddenly, an emergency bulletin announced that something malfunctioned on the shuttle and it was now on a collision course for the city. The entire office was flooded with the panicked cries of reporters. Snapper and Lois tried to keep a cool head; directing everyone down to the basement. Walter, on the other hand, simply sat at his desk, frozen with shock and fear for his son's life.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Oswald Fisk was making his own preparations to seek shelter when he glanced over to see Amunet scribbling on her whiteboard. The cybernetic scientist scrunched her face as her mind was making quick calculations. "Smythe?" Fisk beckoned in a concerned tone. "I suggest we take cover. That shuttle could be dropping in on us at any minute. With _explosive_ results!"

" _Highly unlikely_." She replied calmly. "I've calculated that by now the shuttle is entering the atmosphere at forty-two degrees… and once the initial shock wears off in approximately fifty-three seconds, Col. White will instinctively try to steer it towards a nearby body of water. My estimate is that it'll crash onto the George Washington Bridge." Intrigued by his associate's bold claim, Fisk reached into his pocket to get his phone.

In the quite town of Fort Lee, an elderly woman breathed softly as a young man in his late twenties dabbed her forehead with a wet cloth. The man was Mick Schultz, a super-criminal who had just recently lost his partnership with H.I.D.R.A. and was desperate to earn enough money. Just then, he felt his phone vibrating in his back pocket. He made his way into the other room to answer the call.

"Yeah?" Even when he whispered, his voice was gruff. "Yeah, I know about the shuttle… Oh, God… do I need to – wait, what? Hmmm… yellow rock as big as a _baseball_ , huh? I dunno, sounds pretty _dangerous_ … oh, I'd prob'ly say 'bout… _a hundred grand?_ Hey, now, if ya don't want my help just _say so!_ I'm sure ya could find someone _else_ who just happens to be nearby. An' on _such short notice_ … _there_ , see? I knew ya could be reasonable. Okay, ya said it'd land in ten minutes? I only need _three_ to get my gear an' another _five_ to get ta th' bridge… pleasure doin' business with ya."

He made his way back into the bedroom and sat down next to the woman, lightly brushing her forehead. "Michael…?" The woman stirred. "Who was that on the phone?"

"A job offer, momma. I got a good job offer that pays _real well_." He lied. "I'm gonna leave in a little while, but I promise I'll be back in just a couple a' hours. I'm gonna make this _all_ better."

"Oh, Michael, you're such a _good boy_." The woman cooed as she drifted off to sleep.

Mick gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and went into his own room. Unlocking his closet, he donned on his protective suit and slipped on his flame-throwing gauntlets. The Blazer was back in action.

* * *

 **Ten Minutes Later**

Felicity had gone ahead of Bart back to the house when word of the shuttle's crash got out. He was now garbed in full uniform and rushing towards the crash site. Although he was fairly certain Aunt Joan knew about his double life, he still had to give Felicity an excuse as to why he wouldn't show up right away.

"Yeah, uh, Mr. White's gonna want pictures! Okay, please look after Aunt Joan! See ya later, bye!" He hung up the phone and zeroed in on the damaged bridge. From the looks of it, everyone had been smart enough to run away before the shuttle hit the bridge. But as he leapt into the broken spacecraft, he didn't notice two young photographers making their way to the scene. With all of his strength, he carefully pulled the two astronauts to safety.

"Say 'cheese!'" He heard a voice before the flash. There, watching him, was Ayesha Abdallah snapping pictures of him with a broad smile on her face. "This'll make the front page for _sure!_ Thanks, Speedster-Man!" After she left, Bart made the shocking realization that he had just saved the son of his biggest critic.

He covered his mouth so that he wouldn't laugh. _"I can see it now!"_ He thought to himself. _"'Speedster-Man Saves Publisher's Son!' Can't wait to see the look on White's face when he hears-"_ His thoughts were interrupted by a crashing noise coming from inside the shuttle. Curiosity took a hold of him and he made his way inside. Little did he know that Wilfred Brock was also taking pictures of the scene.

"Anybody home?" Speedster-Man's rhetoric was answered in the form of a tall man carrying a suitcase. "Blazer!"

"No! Not _you!_ Not _now!_ " Blazer pumped his empty fist in the hero's direction, sending a strong stream of heat waves at him. Speedster-Man jumped out of the way just in time and stuck to the wall. Unfortunately, the sudden movement caused the shuttle to shift; it was starting to tilt off of the bridge and into the Hudson River. Blazer managed to get out just in time, making his way to Fisk Towers.

"What the _hell?!_ " Wilfred gasped as he snapped photos of the man leaving trails of flames to cover his tracks. By the time Speedster-Man got out, Blazer was long gone, and he was soaking wet. He decided to head home.

Shortly afterwards, an ambulance arrived, followed by a squad of police cars. Walter White practically jumped out of the lead car and rushed to his son. "Will! Will! Talk to me!"

"B-blue slime… going _down_ … the bridge… Speedster-Man…" Will managed to say before blacking out. Most of what he said was drowned out by the sirens, but one word stuck out in particular.

"Speedster-Man? What's _he_ got to do with this?" Walter questioned as the paramedics carried Will into the emergency vehicle.

"W!" Walter whipped his head around to see a young blonde man running towards him.

"Brock? Didn't I _fire_ you?"

"Well, _yeah!_ But you're not gonna _believe this_ , W! I saw Speedster-Man _stealing_ something from the shuttle! And I've got the pictures to prove it!"

"So, he _was_ here!"

"Just give me my old job back, W, and these pictures are _yours!_ "

"I'll _take_ 'em, Brock!" Walter clenched his fist. "I've finally got that wall-running son-of-a-bitch!"

* * *

 **Manhattan, NY. 9:25 P.M.**

Blazer tapped his foot to the merry melody of elevator music as he made his way to the penthouse floor of Fisk Tower. When he reached the top floor, he was quickly greeted by a pale woman in a lab coat. Emperor Penguin followed shortly after, starring greedily at his guest's suitcase."Here it is…" He handed the Radonite X over to Amunet, who held it, gingerly, in her fingers.

"Just _think!_ " She marveled. "An artifact from another planet! I can't _wait_ to examine it!"

"No time for that, Smythe!" Fisk ordered. "You are to take it to the safe house at once. Or have you forgotten that we've got a buyer lined up? And he wanted it _yesterday!_ "

"What's the big deal?" Blazer grunted. "Looks like just a _rock_ to me."

"Please, do not confuse _this_ …" Amunet leaned over and lightly tapped her knuckles on Blazer's forehead. "With _that_."

 **Queens, NY. 9:30 P.M.**

"Oh, man, I can _not_ believe that just happened!" Bart swung through the second floor's window with ease and landed on the ceiling. He took off his mask, beaming widely at his personal victory. "This is gonna be the _most crash Christmas ever!_ " Still sticking to the ceiling, he danced out of pure happiness, unable to contain himself.

Then he noticed the pair of eyes staring at him.

Felicity was standing right in front of him, frozen in place with an expression of pure shock. It wasn't until the glass of water slipped out of her hand and crashed onto the floor that she slowly began to collect her thoughts. Bart immediately dropped down onto the floor and held up both hands in defense.

"Okay, Felicity…" Anxiety was spreading throughout his entire body. "Just _stay calm_ , I can _explain_ …"

"You're Speedster-Man…" She final said, pointing her finger towards him.

"No, I'm _not!_ No, I'm _not!_ This is just a costume!"

"You were on the ceiling!" Bart tried to come up with an excuse, but he was drawing a blank. "Oh, my God, does Aunt Joan know?!"

"Ssssssh!" Bart pulled her into his bedroom and locked the door. "I think so, but I'm not totally sure. But just _forget it!_ Felicity, you can't tell _anyone_ about this, got it?!"

"Relax! I won't tell!"

"You won't?"

" _No!_ "

"Oh, thank _God…_ " Bart sighed in relief.

"But I want _all_ the details!"

"Fair enough…" He conceited. "But it's been a long day and I need some rest."

"Okay." Felicity nodded. But then she looked down at Bart's costume and her face twisted in disgust. "What is _that?_ "

Bart looked down to see a glob of blue gunk on his costume. "Yuck!" He groaned. "Hudson River pollution. Rich, thick, and _creamy_."

* * *

 **The Next Day**

Felicity had been bombarding Bart with question after question. Bart wasn't sure, but he thought she'd asked him a hundred things about himself by the time they got to the school. "Okay, just a few more questions before homeroom! Do you really work with the Flag? Can you summon an army of spiders? Was Speedster-Man your first choice? What's your top speed? Can you make a sonic boom? Can you take me web-swinging sometime?"

"Yes. No. No. Not sure. Maybe. And it's _web-slinging_." That was all he could say before they split up. He went straight to his homeroom class and made a b-line for his usual seat right next to Harry. The two teens met each other since Kindergarten, and became fast friends. Unfortunately, Bart carried a considerable amount of guilt on his shoulders for what happened to Harry's father; Norman Griffon.

Norman's experiments took a wrong turn, resulting in him being horribly disfigured. The tragedy caused him to lose his sanity, building deadly weapons and adopting a super-villain persona; the Gray Griffon. This led to a climactic battle with Speedster-Man at the top of the Brooklyn Bridge, ending in Norman killing himself with his own weapons and Harry losing his father.

"Psst, hey, Bart…" Harry leaned over with today's newspaper. "Have you heard the news?"

"Oh, you mean about Speedster-Man?" Bart tried not to smile as he leaned back in his seat. "How he _heroically_ saved the astronauts. And now Wonderful Walter White is going to take back _every_ word he's ever-"

"What're you _talking_ about, man? Speedster-Man _robbed_ the shuttle!"

" _WHAT!_ " Bart snatched the paper out of his best friend's hand and read the top story. The article showed a photograph of Speedster-Man landing crawling into the spacecraft, and accused him of going into it after the astronauts were already out. The accusations claimed that he had stolen whatever was inside. To make matters worse, W. Walter White offered a million dollar reward for Speedster-Man's capture. The corner of the picture read; "Photograph by Wilfred Brock."

"Now there's _nowhere_ Speedster-Man can run!" Harry smiled. "At _last_ he'll get what he deserves! Eh, Bart? Bart?"

By now, Bart was rushing to S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ., not bothering to change into his costume. He needed their help to clear his name and track down Blazer. But he was unprepared for what came next. Due to the bad publicity, Director Waller suspended him from the Legion, even demanding that he hand in his entry badge. As he solemnly made his way out, he ran into Flag and Dr. Richards.

"Please, tell me you guys trust me…" He begged.

"I will _always_ trust you, Bartholomew." Richards assured him. "But it may take a while to convince the rest of the city."

"We'll figure this out, Bart. I promise." Flag patted him on the shoulder.

With a heavy heart, Bart sped back to Mid-Town High before the next period. The rest of his day was completely miserable; everywhere he turned, he heard people whispering about Speedster-Man's "theft." At last it was time to go home. Felicity didn't say anything, for fear of saying the wrong thing. But to both of their surprise, a police car was parked outside of their house.

"Are you Bart Parker?" the policeman asked. Bart swallowed hard. Was it possible that they finally found out that he was Speedster-Man? As they entered, they sat down next to Aunt Joan, looking at the files in the cop's hands. "We rechecked the finger prints on the gun that was used to kill your husband, Mrs. Parker…" He revealed a mug shot of a man almost a decade older than the teens, with severe burns on his arms and chest. "I'm sorry to tell you this, ma'am, but we only caught the _accomplice_ of your husband's murder. _This_ man, Mick Schultz, is the one who killed Jay Parker."

Bart recognized the face from when he and Steve unmasked him; it was the Blazer. He snatched the paper away from the officer and studied it, angrily. "How could this have _happened?!_ Why wasn't _he_ caught?!"

"Bart, calm down!" Aunt Joan and Felicity looked very worried.

"Son, you don't understand-" The officer tried to help, but Bart wouldn't listen.

"No, _you_ don't understand!" Tears started to well up in his eyes. "This man _killed_ my uncle, and he's _still out there!_ " He threw the files on the coffee table and rushed upstairs. He buried his face in his hands, wishing he could just vanish from the Earth.

"Everyone thinks I'm a crook, I've got a million dollars on my head, S.H.I.E.L.D. won't help, and I put the wrong guy in jail for Uncle Jay!" He sighed, gazing down at his still-soiled costume. "Well, I guess _one_ piece of good news is that I don't have to worry about cleaning _you_ anymore…" He quipped as he tossed the suit into his wastebasket. He slumped onto his bed, drifting off into an uneasy slumber. If his mind weren't so troubled, he might've noticed the blue slime crawling off of the suit, and covering his entire body.

* * *

 _The fastest teen alive breathed heavily as he woke up on the street. He recognized this particular street; the one that took away his uncle. He looked around, frantically, trying to spot the scene of the crime._

" _I know you don't like me talking to you like this. And I know I'm not your_ father- _"_

" _Exactly! So, stop_ pretending _to be!"_

 _He looked in horror as the cruel words directed his attention. He tried to run towards the car, but the road just kept stretching, pushing him away. Suddenly, a menacing figure stepped out of the shadows, ripping the car door off with his bare hands._

" _Uncle Jay, no!" His cry fell upon deaf ears as Mick Schultz threw the middle-aged man to the cold ground._

" _No, sir! Please, don't!" Jay begged. But it was no good; Schultz drew his weapon with a wicked grin spread across his face. Just as Bart got close, the criminal's finger pulled the trigger, sending out a strong stream of fire that engulfed the Jay._

" _Noooooooooooooo!"_

* * *

"No!" Bart gasped. Fresh air brushed his face, enticing a sigh of relief. "A nightmare… just a _nightmare_ … for a second there I thought I was…" When he opened his eyes again, he was shocked to see cars at least three hundred feet beneath him. Looking forward, he saw his reflection in a window. He was wearing a blue skin-tight costume with a white spider on his chest and a black lightning bolt across it. His head was completely covered, but underneath, his face showed pure surprise. "… going out of my mind?"

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Snapper Robertson(Robbie Robertson/Snapper Carr)**

 **The Blazer aka Mick Schultz(The Shocker/Heat Wave) He was last seen working with Baron Zero against the Flag and Speedster-Man!**

 **Oh, and look! Ayesha Abdallah's back!**


	40. Velocity part 3

**Chapter XVI: Velocity! Part 3**

"Parker…how the _hell_ did you end up in the middle of _Manhattan_ , hanging _upside down_ , in a costume you've never seen before?!"

Bart was perplexed at his reflection. The suit's main hue was the same as the gunk on his old costume after swimming out of the Hudson. He wondered if that gunk was some kind of experimental compound that came from the shuttle. One thing was for sure; it definitely made him look cooler.

Suddenly, he felt a familiar tingle in his head as his accelerated-vision kicked in. Everything slowed to a crawl as he looked around to see what the matter was. A police helicopter had spotted him and bombarded him with its blinding spot-light. Bart's mind was so preoccupied with his current situation, he'd forgotten about the price on his head. But then, as if on instinct, he leapt into the air, over the helicopter, and several rooftops.

"WHOOOOOOOA!" He shouted as he began to descend. Luckily, he was able to grab onto a building's ledge. "I almost overshot the _whole block!_ " He gasped to himself. "I've never been able to make jumps like _that_ before…" He looked back down at the new suit with an interested expression. After taking a moment to focus, he noticed an exemplary feeling of strength in every part of his body. _"Could it have something to do with this costume?"_ He thought to himself.

He dropped down to the ground when he heard the helicopter coming around the building. While he was impressed with his new strength, he regretted that the blue suit still made him stand out. To his surprise, the suit instantly shape-shifted into his usual street clothes, saving him from the helicopter's pursuit. "You're _definitely_ my kinda costume!" Bart exclaimed. "Y'know… I think I'll _keep_ you." Glancing at a neon clock, he noticed it was six o' clock in the morning; which was usually around the time he went to the Daily Times to deliver his pictures before going to school. Bart remembered the false accusations placed on his head, and a righteous fury grew in his stomach. "I think it's time to go to the _source_ of all my troubles…" The suit reverted back to its original form and Speedster-Man set off.

 **The Daily Times**

"But, Chief! I'm telling you; Speedster-Man _saved_ Col. White! He didn't steal anything!" Ayesha was trying to plead her case, but Wilfred wouldn't let her.

"Yeah? Well, _I_ saw him stealing the element, _myself!_ "

"Ms. Abdallah, Brock's right." Walter said calmly. "I am not dropping the charges just because you think Speedster-Man is a hero."

"But, Chief, _I_ have pictures, too! I can _prove it!_ "

"I said _drop it,_ Abdallah!" Walter snapped. "Unless you want me to _fire_ you?!"

"B-but, I _need_ this job to help my mom…"

"Then I suggest you do what you're _told_ , and wait for your next assignment."

"Yes, Chief…" Ayesha solemnly hung her head, fighting back tears as she made her way out.

"*And don't call me 'chief!'" Walter added. Looking down at the paper he was framing, White smiled broadly as he spoke to the photographer responsible for it. "Thanks to you we've got that bastard, dead-to-rights!"

"I told ya I could get the job done, W!"

"You did a _job_ , alright! On _me!_ " A voice came from the window, startling the two journalists.

"Speedster-Man?!" White bellowed. "You think you can _hide_ in some _cockamamie_ new costume?!"

"I've got _nothing_ to hide!" Bart retorted, confidently. "Especially from a pair of _hacks_ like you two!" As Speedster-Man made his way inside, Walter tapped a button under his desk, setting off the silent alarm. "I never knew _what_ your problem _was_ with me, White, but I figured you'd be a little _grateful_ after I _saved your son!_ "

"You didn't do _shit!_ " Brock spoke up. "Except steal whatever the astronauts were bringing home! Pictures don't lie!"

"But _you_ do!" Speedster-Man angrily shoved Brock into the wall, pinning him down with a strong hand.

"I-I _know_ what I saw!"

"You _didn't_ see me take the element!"

"Well, _who else_ coulda taken it?"

"How about the freak with the _flame-throwers_ , punk!"

"Flame-throwers?" Walter snorted, indignantly. "I think that new suit's cutting off the oxygen to your _brain!_ "

"Listen to me, you _wrinkled, whiny, asshole!_ " Bart hissed as he shifted his attention to the elderly publisher. He held his tie in one hand and prepared a fist with the other; White actually looked scared. "If you don't call off that reward, _I'm gonna-!_ "

"Don't. Even. _Think_ about it!" The security guards aimed their pistols directly at the swift vigilante.

"Who needs to _think?_ " Bart muttered as he let go of White, picked up the desk, and threw it at the security guards. Before they could get back up, Speedster-Man had already left. Walter straightened his tie and looked out the window with a concerned look on his face.

"Are you okay, Mr. White?"

"As bad as he was _before_ , he's never acted like _that_." Walter said inaudibly.

* * *

Speedster-Man landed in an alleyway just across from the school. He knew he couldn't stop trying to clear his name, but he wanted to test out the new suit a bit more. Making sure the coast was clear, he rubbed his chin, contemplating what to wear. "Bart Parker!" At the sound of his voice, the suit shifted into his usual street clothes. "No, wait! How 'bout that guy from ** _Aerosmith?_ " The suit shifted again to the outlandish attire of Punk-Rock. "Ehhhh, maybe something along the lines of _semi-formal_. Something _Harry_ would wear." Now, Bart was wearing khakis with tennis shoes, a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a nice-looking sweater vest. " _Perfect!_ "

The rest of the day made Bart feel superior. Everyone could feel that there was an exciting new vibe coming from him. The jocks who usually picked on him suddenly wanted to be his friend, and the girls who often ignored him swooned at the mere sight of him. Harry was impressed.

"Geez, dude." He whistled. "What side of whose bed did _you_ wake up on this morning?"

"What can I _say?_ " Bart shrugged. "I felt the need for a change." Harry's praise added on to his feeling of social ecstasy. For the first time in his life, he truly felt as if he were worth something; as if he could take on the entire world. He could tell that his life was going to be very interesting from that moment on.

"Bart?" The sweet voice of Valerie Jane Watson instantly caught Bart's attention. She was walking beside Felicity, both girls taking an interest in the secret superhero. "Is that really you?"

"Well, lately, I'm not so _sure!_ " Bart joked.

"I almost didn't recognize you…" She added, brushing her scarlet hair back. "You're so… _different_."

"You don't know _how_ different…" Bart said flirtatiously as he leaned towards her. "But, then again, maybe you'd like to _find out_."

"Bart? What are you doing?" Valerie felt uncomfortable. "We've _talked_ about this; I just _don't_ feel the same way."

"Aw, c'mon, babe…" Bart leaned closer. "Just gimme a _chance_."

"Hitting on my girl, Parker?" Wilfred appeared and pulled Valerie away from Bart.

"' _Your_ girl?'" Valerie was now fully irritated. "What gave you _that_ idea, Brock?"

"Oh, don't tell me you'd seriously take _Parker_ over me?"

Harry was preparing to step in and defend his two best friends. Being the son of an alleged criminal, he was used to social discrimination, but hated seeing his friends fall victim to it.

"How 'bout you _fuck off_ , shithead." That caught him, as well as everyone else, off guard. Mostly because it was Bart who said it.

" _What_ did you say to me?!" Brock clenched his fists and stood right in front of his aggressor.

"I believe it had something to do with the content of your _skull_." Bart smiled smugly.

"Well, this is a _twist_." Brock chuckled. "Look who's suddenly developed a _back-bone!_ "

In a blur of motion, Bart grabbed Wilfred's arm, twisted it behind his back, and held him up against the school lockers. "I've developed a _lot more_ than a back-bone." Wilfred squirmed in panic as his arm became wrenched in Bart's grip. Felicity took action, dialing Aunt Joan's number into her phone. Harry and Valerie, on the other hand, mustered the courage to pull Bart away from the Brock.

As the bully ran away, Bart shrugged himself free of their grip. "Bart, what the _fuck?!_ "

"I'm tired of him _treating_ us like that!" Bart snapped.

"Yeah, but he didn't deserve _that!_ " Valerie reasoned.

"Bart, listen…" Harry started. "You know we go _way back_ , right? Ever since we were _kids_. Well, _back there?_ I didn't even _recognize_ you, man! Just 'cause he's done something bad to you, it doesn't give you the right to treat him like a _criminal_ , man!"

"HA!" Bart laughed sarcastically. "Pot, meet _kettle!_ "

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You've been pissed off at Speedster-Man because you've got some _bullshit_ idea that he killed your father, Harry! Face the facts! Your dad went _insane_ and killed a _lot_ of people before killing _himself!_ _And_ , even if it _was_ Speedster-Man who killed him, it'd be no worse than putting down a _rabid dog!_ "

Harry had heard enough; he punched Bart in the cheek, giving his oldest friend a black eye. Bart retaliated, and the two teens became locked in an epic brawl. Just then, Aunt Joan rushed to the scene, breaking up the fight. "What is going _on_ , here?!" She demanded.

"Thank God you got here so _fast!_ " Felicity sighed.

"You _narced_ on me?!" Bart spat.

"Bartholomew Jayson Parker!" Joan scolded as she dragged Bart out of the school, with Felicity close behind. "We do _not_ talk to our _friends_ like that!"

"Aunt Joan… _please_ , go back home." Bart seethed. "This doesn't concern you."

"How could you say that?" Joan couldn't believe her ears. " _Look_ at you! You're starting fights in school! You're hurting your friends! You're acting like-!"

"Like what?! A _criminal?!_ A _thug?!_ Well, guess what?! I got _sick_ and _tired_ of being pushed around and stepped on by just about _everybody_ in this damn city! It's long past time I stuck up for myself! And if you have a problem with that, _too bad!_ _YOU'RE NOT MY MOM!_ "

Joan's face fell. She stumbled backwards a few feet before sitting down on the side walk. Her eyes never broke contact with Bart's. The young man, himself, could hardly believe that he'd just said that. All of his frustration and anger seemed to wash away at the sight of his heartbroken aunt. Without thinking, he ran away to clear his head, leaving the two women behind.

Felicity had her hands cupped over her mouth throughout the entire argument. Once Bart was gone, she kneeled down next to Joan, offering solace. She rubbed the middle-aged woman's back as she tried to get a response out of her. "A-aunt Joan…" She stuttered. "I-I'm sure he didn't _mean_ that… h-he might just be _frustrated_ … or m-maybe it was something he _ate_ or… or…"

"That is _not_ the boy I raised…" Joan tearfully whispered.

At that moment, Bart's suit had changed again, and he was rushing through the city at super-speed. _"Why did I say that?"_ He pondered, sadly. _"I mean, sure, I was mad, but I've_ never _felt that way before! Especially not towards Harry or Valerie…_ or _Aunt Joan!"_ At first he thought it was just because he was upset about everything that happened yesterday, but he realized it wouldn't make him behave the way he did today. Something was making him behave overly-aggressive.

Then, it hit him; the suit. He'd been so caught up with how it was affecting him physically, he never stopped to think if it would also affect him psychologically. _"I need answers."_ He quickly headed towards S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ.

* * *

 **Meanwhile at Brooklyn Central Hospital**

W. Walter White sat beside his son's bed, waiting for him to wake up. Despite the recent tragedy, the doctors assured him that Will would be okay after a few months of physical therapy. Nevertheless, Walter made sure to visit his son every day while he was in the hospital. Will still talked in his sleep from time to time, and was beginning to stir at that moment.

" _Hnn!_ Blue slime… crashing… man with… flame-throwers… Johnson _hurt_ … _ugh!_ "

Walter called in the nurse to check on him, and once he was sure his son was fine, he angrily made his way to the hospital's parking lot. "So there _was_ a guy with a flame-thrower!" He said through clenched teeth. It didn't take long for Wilfred Brock to answer his summons to the Daily Times, but after five straight minutes of being yelled at, he wished he hadn't.

"YOU LIED TO ME!"

"Okay, okay!" He said, defensively. "It was just some _pyro-freak_ in a bad Halloween costume! What's the big deal?"

"The _big deal_ is; I can't just _falsely accuse_ people I don't like of committing a crime when there's _solid evidence_ that he _didn't do it!_ It goes against _everything_ I stand for as a news publisher!"

"Okay, I can _fix_ this!"

"NO! You've done _more than enough!_ You're _history_ , Brock! _Done! Finished! Outta here! FIRED!_ " Walter pushed the deceiving photographer to the ground and stormed over to his desk.

"N-no! No! Wait! I have more pictures!"

" _OUT!"_

"C'mon, W, you _hate_ Speedster-Man!" Wilfred pleaded. " _Both of us do!_ I thought you'd be _glad_ to hear he stole from the shuttle! I did it for _you!_ "

"You did this for _yourself_ , Brock!" Walter pressed a button on his inter-com, calling Lois. "Ms. Brant! Call Ms. Abdallah! Offer her a _raise_ , offer her a _paid vacation_ , get on your _hands and knees_ if you have to! Just get her over here and tell her I want to see those pictures she took of Speedster-Man saving my son! As a matter of fact, have Snapper go ahead and prepare a broadcast!"

"You got it, Walter." Lois answered. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, get me _security_." He said as he shot an angry glance at Brock. "I've got some _trash_ I need them to _throw out!_ "

A few hours later, Oswald Fisk was finishing up his call to Maxwell Von Havoc. He demanded five billion dollars for the Radonite X, and his business partner happily agreed. Everything was going smoothly until Amunet called him over to the TV.

"Attention, citizens of New York…" W. Walter White spoke professionally. "As you know, The Daily Times recently published an article that accused Speedster-Man of robbing the shuttle of its scientific discovery. But new evidence has come into light that leads us to believe that the photographer, Wilfred Brock, who was responsible for the story, was withholding important information for the case. In just a few minutes, photographer Ayesha Abdallah, who tried to approach me earlier, will be presenting said evidence. So, I must temporarily _withdraw_ my reward for the capture of Speedster-Man until this matter has been thoroughly investigated."

"This is very _bad_ , Oswald…" Smythe said. "If this Wilfred Brock has indeed captured pictures of Blazer while he was robbing the shuttle, it could be traced back to _us_."

"Hmmm… if this is Blazer's _fault_ , _he_ can fix it." Fisk pulled out his phone and dialed the appropriate number. "I have another job for you…"

 **To Be Continued!**

 ***"And don't call me chief!" was the classic banter between Perry White and Jimmy Olsen in the original Superman comic books.**

 ****Hardcore Spider-Man fans should know that Aerosmith's lead guitarist made the theme song to the Web-Head's cartoon in 1994!**


	41. Velocity part 4

**Chapter XVI: Velocity! Part 4**

 **S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ, NY.**

Eobard Schmidt, better known as Harrison Richards, was hard at work in the disguised building, typing important data into his computer. But every once in a while, his eyes would dart down to the specialized wrist-watch he wore. Despite the numerous precautions that he took, he was always worried that his pursuer would find a way to sneak up on him. The anxiety was beginning to break him down. If the monster ever found him while in public, he'd have no choice but to reveal himself as the Red Zoom. Schmidt never considered himself to be a man of God, but ever since his last contact with Darkanos, he begged for protection almost every sleepless night.

"Dr. Richards?" A light breeze drew his attention to a dark figure sneaking into the window.

"NO!" Richards' wheelchair nearly fell over from the sudden movement. "No, stay _back!_ "

"Dr. Richards, it's okay! It's _me!_ " Suddenly, the mask disappeared to reveal a young man with messy brown hair.

"Oh… Bartholomew…" Richards wiped his forehead in relief. "F-forgive me… I-I had a nightmare about my encounter with Red Zoom…"

"It's _alright_ , Dr. Richards." Bart assured him. "I hate to approach you like this, but I need your help."

"With what?"

"It's this _suit_." Bart explained. "I-I _know_ this is going to sound weird, but I need it _analyzed_. Cut off a piece of the material… if you _can._ "

"What do you mean _'if I can'_?" Richards cocked a curious eyebrow at the odd request.

"Go ahead and _try_." Bart extended his arm towards the baffled scientist. Harrison picked up a pair of scissors and reached out to snip off a piece of the suit. But much to his shock, the suit crawled away from Bart's skin as he approached it.

"Wha-how did it…?"

Acting quickly, Bart stretched a piece of the suit, himself. "Cut here, quickly!" Harrison did as instructed. As soon as the piece was cut free, Bart threw it onto a table, trapping it under a glass cup. Surprisingly, the rest of the suit repaired itself, instantaneously. "Bartholomew, where did you _find_ this thing?"

"The Hudson." Bart answered, plainly.

Harrison wheeled himself over to the suit's sample and placed it under a microscope. After a few moments of making adjustments, he saw something that almost made him double back in surprise. "Astonishing! It has its own _cellular structure!_ The nuclei are even _dividing!_ "

"That's what I was afraid of. It's _alive_ , isn't it?"

"As alive as _you_ and _I_ …" Over the next half-hour, Richards performed several basic tests on the suit until he finally brought Bart over to a projector, displaying a magnified image of a drop of blood. "This is simply _unbelievable_. Look: this is a sample of your blood that we took to insure that the radiation you were exposed to last year had no ill effects on your physiology. Now, watch what happens when I introduce it to the piece of that suit you're wearing…" As the piece of the suit touched the blood drop, it immediately surrounded the rest of it; combining every molecule with its own.

"They're _bonding!_ " Bart gasped.

"It's _mutating_ and _enhancing_ your blood by adapting it to its _own DNA!_ " Harrison explained. "It's a _symbiont_ , an organism that survives by bonding itself to a _host_." The scientist's expression suddenly went from scientific fascination to concerned fear. "But if my projections are correct, not only does this symbiont _bond_ , in time it _replaces_."

"Replaces? Replaces _what?_ "

"Well, I _never_ would have believed such a thing could be possible," Harrison said gravely. "But I am now _certain_ that this piece of material, as well as the rest of that costume, is a _sentient creature_."

As Bart's instructor continued to explain the situation, his accelerated-vision activated. His attention was pulled away from Richards and he walked over to the window. Walking on the streets was Wilfred Brock. Suddenly, Bart remembered how it was Brock's fault that his reputation was tarnished, and he forgot what Harrison said. Anger took over, and Speedster-Man began to follow.

"I'd like to run a few more tests to see if we can-Bartholomew?" Richards cut himself off when saw that the window was wide open. Looking back at the sample of the symbiont, he noticed that it began to grow larger. He glanced back at his watch and a twisted grin spread across his face as he placed it in cold storage. _"Perhaps Bartholomew embracing a darker persona wouldn't be such a bad thing…"_ He thought to himself.

* * *

 **The Bronx**

"Fuck Speedster-Man!" Brock muttered to himself. "He's cost me my _job_ , my _reputation_ … ah… ah-CHOO! My _health!_ " He finally got home to his run-down apartment next to the abandoned church. His parents had kicked him out years ago, leaving him to fend for himself ever since. He slumped down on the couch, trying to go to sleep. Little did he know that Speedster-Man snuck in through the upstairs window.

"Okay, if I were a hundred-seventy pound ass-hat, where would I hide un-developed pictures?" Bart asked himself as he searched the room. Much to his frustration, it wasn't in any of the drawers or cabinets, forcing him to check any place it could fit. Eventually, he found the roll of film hidden in the faucet of Brock's bathroom sink. "Not very _hygienic_ …" Bart chuckled. "But _clever_. And now, a certain Mr. Brock is going to learn a lesson about the dangers of _lying_."

But just as he was about to leave, he heard the door downstairs being kicked down. Wilfred yelped in shock as the intruder approached him. "Wilfred Brock?"

"Who wants to know?" the kid asked nervously.

"My _boss_ wants ta know!" The intruder picked up Brock and threw him across the room. "I don't like it when folks take _pictures_ of me on the _job_ , punk! It's bad for _business!_ " He snarled as he adjusted a dial on his strange gauntlets. " _This_ is why they call me _the Blazer!_ " Suddenly, a stream of fire shot towards Brock, boring a hole in the wall right next to him. "So, _very painful_ or _sorta painful?_ It's all up ta _you_ …"

"W-what do you _want_ from me, man?!" Brock shivered in terror as Blazer stepped closer.

"Glad ya asked. Where're the photos of the crash site?" Before Blazer could touch Brock, somebody grabbed him and threw him out the door.

"What's this? A fight? And nobody invited me!" Speedster-Man quipped before leaping after Blazer. When the villain got back on his feet, Bart's eyes narrowed under his mask. "Mick Schultz…" His voice was filled with pure malice.

"You know my name?" Blazer stuttered. "H-how do ya know my _name?_ "

"Do you remember _Jay Parker?_ " Bart snapped. "The _old man_ you shot down in _cold blood?!_ "

Blazer paused for a moment before he answered. "What's it matter ta _you_ , anyway!"

"EVERYTHING!" Speedster-Man rushed Blazer and knocked him onto the church's lawn. "It's time to _pay_ , Schultz!" As Blazer retreated into the empty building, Speedster-Man followed closely behind him. He didn't even realize that he'd dropped the film and accidentally crushed it under his foot.

"Oooh, Speedster-Man's in _trouble_." Brock smiled to himself as he pulled a gun out of his cabinet. " _Perfect._ "

Inside the church, the old scaffolding and construction equipment were still there, but that was of no concern to the two super-beings. Bart was jumping around the room, easily dodging every one of Blazer's heat blasts. The fleet-footed teen hit his enemy at incredible speeds, keeping him just conscious enough to feel every painful blow. But every few moments, Blazer would manage to land a blow to Speedster-Man, adding to his already intense anger. Speedster-Man used his light-webs to trap one of Blazer's arms to the wall, then he picked up a pew, ready to launch it at the arsonist.

Unfortunately, he was too focused on Blazer to notice his accelerated-vision trying to warn him of the bullet that struck his arm. The shock of the impact caused him to drop the pew on himself. "It's _payback time_ , Speedster-Prick!" Brock shouted as he cocked the pistol. But just then, Blazer tore his arm free and blasted the gun out of Brock's hand.

"I still got business with _you!_ " He snarled as Brock ran into the other room. Before he could follow him, Speedster-Man recovered and continued to attack the arsonist. By now, Bart had torn Blazer's mask off so that he could look him in the eyes. He readied his fist for another punch when a gust of wind filled the entire room.

"That's enough!" Bart felt his arm being restricted. He looked back to see the Flag sporting a bemused expression. "Speedster-Man, what do you think you're _doing?!_ "

"I'm getting _revenge!_ " Bart let go of Blazer, who ran up the stairs to the church's bell tower. Bart's anger never left him as he redirected his attack on Flag. "I'm sick of _you_ , too!" He shouted as Flag defended himself. "You're always saying that I need to wait until the _right time_ to start training me advanced speed powers!" Bart used his light-webs to grab Flag's legs and throw him into the wall. "But I think you're just too afraid I'll be _better_ than you! Because I'm _already_ better than _Kid-Flag!_ "

Bart gave one last quick punch to Flag's jaw, and then went back after Blazer. "SCHULLLLLTZ!" He bellowed as he climbed up the tower from the outside. "You can't escape me! I'll chase you to the ends of the Earth!" Just as he suspected, Blazer was aiming both gauntlets at the tower's entrance, letting his guard down long enough for Bart to sneak up on him. "You killed Jay Parker without _mercy_ or _regret_ , Schultz!" He yelled as he knocked his enemy to the floor.

"How could you know that?" Blazer breathed heavily. "How could you _possibly_ know?"

"He was my _uncle_ , Schultz!" Bart's mask retracted itself, revealing his angry face. "I am _Bart Parker!_ " Bart continued to punch Blazer until he was leaning against the tower's edge.

"Okay, _stop!_ _Please, stop!_ " Schultz begged. "I _give up!_ I _give up!_ I'd rather go ta _jail_ than spend one more second with _you_ …"

"Who said anything about _jail?_ " Bart deadpanned as he webbed Schultz's arms to the ledge.

"Wha-? I-I don't get it…"

"You will…" Bart walked over to a piece of scaffolding and broke it off. "It's like _this;_ I'm _through_ with not getting what I want! I'm _through_ with people thinking they can walk all over me and push me around!"

"Wh-what're ya _doin'?!_ I-I told ya! I _give up!_ " Blazer was terrified as Bart stood in front of him with the make-shift spear.

"That's funny; _I_ give up, too…" He lifted it over his head, ready to run it through Blazer's chest. "I give up trying to be a _friendly neighborhood Speedster-Man_."

"NO! NO, YOU _CAN'T!_ " Tears ran down Blazer's face as he prepared for the end.

"Why not?!" Bart asked, sinisterly. "I have the _strength!_ I have the _power!_ "

" _Now, this kid you beat up; he probably_ deserved _it. But just because you_ can _do something, it doesn't mean that you_ should _. With great power, comes great_ responsibility _."_

Uncle Jay's words echoed through Bart's mind. Suddenly, he realized what he was about to do, and he was disappointed in himself. With a sorrowful expression, he backed away from Blazer and dropped the scaffolding. " _Oh…_ " Blazer gasped in relief. " _Thank you_ …"

Then, Bart's costume formed an appendage that stretched out and pushed Blazer off of the bell tower. "NO!" Bart screamed in horror. He tried to reach out to catch Schultz, but the suit wouldn't let him move. Blazer's screams filled the empty night air until he splashed into the river. "What have I _done?!_ " Bart fell to his knees. "What's this costume _doing to me?!_ "

Flag finally arrived and when he saw Bart, he tried to help the boy up. But the suit reached out again and pinned him to a corner of the tower. "Steve…" Bart wept. "This is _all my fault!_ I'm so sorry for screwing _everything up!_ "

"Now, what kind of talk is _that?_ " A voice asked. Bart and Steve turned their heads to see a most surprising sight.

"Dr. Richards…?" Bart gasped. "Y-you're _walking_ …"

"You know, I just _realized_ something, Bartholomew." The scientist began. "Despite how well we know each other, I've never _properly_ introduced myself. My name… is _Eobard Schmidt_." Richards placed a pendant over his chest, tapped it, and in the blink of an eye, he was wearing a black trench coat with a red skull-shaped helmet.

" _You're Red Zoom!_ " Bart gasped.

" _Yes, I am_ …" Zoom cackled. "You see, Bartholomew, when my plan to kill the Flag failed in 1945, I spent _decades_ hiding. Waiting for the right moment to bring him back so that I can have my revenge. I have a new plan that _cannot_ fail, and I am _so close_ to succeeding! _Join me_ , Bartholomew! Become _my_ apprentice! Let this new darkness consume you! _Embrace_ the hatred as _I_ did!"

"You're _insane!_ " Bart replied. "You've been _using me_ and everyone at _S.H.I.E.L.D._ this whole time!" The symbiont began to spread over Bart's face again, enticing a surge of fear in his soul.

"It doesn't _matter_ …" Red Zoom chuckled. "You'll be more _accepting_ soon enough." Red Zoom laughed maniacally as the blue symbiont continued to slowly corrupt Bart's body.

 _Bleep! Bleep! Bleep!_ Zoom looked down at his watch in frustration. "No! Not _now!_ " He turned his gaze to the Flag, who was still struggling to break free from the alien's grasp. "This isn't _over_ …" He said before vanishing.

At last, Steve managed to vibrate out of the parasite's grip. Every fiber of his being told him to chase after Zoom, but his top priority at the time was helping his protégé. "Bart! Listen to me! I can help you, but you're going to have to _trust_ me!"

"Okay…" Bart whimpered.

"Now, listen closely; if you _vibrate_ every molecule in your body to the natural frequency of air, you should be able to _phase_ out of that suit!"

"' _Should?!'_ "

"You can _do it!_ I _believe in you!_ "

At the sound of those words, Bart steeled his nerves and forced himself to stand up. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his inner-speed. His body began to shake at a fantastic rate until he finally separated from the symbiont. The alien tried to re-attach itself to Bart, but both heroes managed to dodge it. One of its tendrils became razor-sharp and slashed Bart's chest, spilling his blood down the tower. Flag tried to grab onto it, but it knocked him back into the bell. When his shield stuck the bell, a loud ring echoed throughout the town.

This loud noise appeared to have some kind of negative effect on the symbiont, as Bart noticed it roared in pain. Acting quickly, he pulled the bell's rope as hard as he could, making the noise louder and louder. The alien's shrieks intensified with each ring, until it finally reverted to a liquid state and seeped through the wooden floorboards.

Once he was sure the threat was gone, Bart collapsed on the ground from exhaustion. When Flag recovered, he picked up the young hero and rushed him to his apartment. If he had stayed behind long enough, he would've noticed the symbiont was still alive.

It had landed on the church's floor, collecting Bart's blood that it had spilled. Its own DNA began to warp the blood into flesh and muscle, creating a new form. Brock finally mustered the courage to come out from hiding when he saw the alien. Mistaking it for Speedster-Man, he cocked his pistol and unloaded the rest of his clip into the alien. Much to his surprise, the being just stood up to face him. The alien's new form looked almost identical to Bart, but its flesh was soon covered up with a dark blue slime. Its chest brandished a white spider with a black lightning bolt, and its face was covered with the same mask as before.

Brock slowly inched away in terror as the mask grew a smile full of fangs. Its fingers grew into sharp claws as it stepped closer to its hapless prey. And with an unearthly roar, the alien tore Brock to shreds, feasting on his flesh.

" _Bart Parker…"_ It spoke in a shrill, eerie voice. _"You may have rejected me… but I will take_ everything _from you!"_

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Velocity(Venom symbiont/Velocity 6)**


	42. Velocity part 5

**Chapter XVI: Velocity! Part 5**

 **Fort Lee, NY. The Hudson River.**

Blazer gasped for air as he pulled himself onto the shore. Just a few moments ago, Speedster-Man had revealed his true identity to him, blamed him for killing his uncle, and then tried to kill him. Having survived the encounter, Blazer wasn't going to take any chances of Speedster-Man finding him again. He needed to get to his apartment, gather his back-up equipment, and move him and his mother out of the city.

He discarded his damaged suit and made his way towards the apartment. But before he could sneak inside, he was stopped by his neighbor, Traci. "Michael!"

"Traci, look, I'm sorry, but I really don't have time to talk! I gotta get my momma and get outta the city fer a while."

"No, Michael! You don't understand!" Traci's lips trembled with each word. Once Mick saw that his apartment's door was opened, his face fell. "Y-your mother… s-she had a… a _heart attack_ … she didn't make it…"

Mick's heart sank and tears began to sting his eyes as he slowly made his way into the apartment, where his mother lay motionless on the couch. "I've already called the paramedics." Traci continued, mournfully. "I'll give you some time alone…"

After Traci left, Mick fell to his knees, holding his mother's cold hands. Fond memories of him and her mother all seemed to come flooding back. How she supported him through all of his projects. How she comforted him after his father died. How she loved him for looking after her in her old age. "I'm _sorry_ , Momma." He cried, sadly. "I'm _sorry_ I wasn't here. I was just tryin' ta get a job done. I just wanted ta get enough cash ta take _care_ a you. I was just tryin' ta _help_."

He was brought out of his mourning when a shadow raced past his window. His grief turned to rage as he quickly went to don his spare suit and gauntlets. While he knew he could never catch the Wall-Runner on foot, if he could cut across town, he'd be able to intercept him and take him down. Sure enough, once he reached the downtown area, he swung his fist out and hit his foe with a heat-powered backhand.

"End of the _line_ , Speedster-Man!" He snarled as he picked the hero up by his neck, ready to blast him at point-blank range. But to his shock, Speedster-Man's mask produced a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth and a long tongue that whipped around as he screeched. Blazer threw him back and aimed his fists at him.

" _I want him to die, as well, Mr. Schultz."_ Its voice was shrill and jagged. Mick straightened himself as it spoke to him. _"I am_ not _Sssspeedster-Man. Ssssssspeedster-Man_ rejected _me. He cassst me assssside like unwanted_ garbage! _You musssst know what that'sssss like, yessss?"_ Mick didn't say anything; he just gazed at the odd creature, listening to every word with interest. _"Oh, yessssssssss, I know_ everything _about you. Jussst as I know how Ssssspeedster-Man wouldn't let you help your poor mother. I am ssssstill building up my sssstrength, but if we were to_ join forcesssss _, he would not sssstand a_ chance! _What isss your ansssswer?"_

Mick looked down at his feet, thinking about his mother. If he hadn't spent so much time fighting Speedster-Man, he might've been around to say goodbye, at least. Someone had to pay. "Alright… I'm in."

" _Excccccccccccellent!"_ Velocity snarled as the duo made their way to Queens.

Despite Aunt Joan's insistence, Felicity Stacy stayed up for when Bart got home. After what he said to the poor woman at the school, he hadn't come home all day. Joan decided to go to bed, but Felicity wasn't going to let it slide. She had been raised in Starling City, Utah by a die-hard Christian mother and a strong-willed police father; it was time for her to inflict some of their lessons upon Bart.

At last there was a knock at the door. "Finally!" She practically tore the door open. "Where the _hell_ have you been-?!" But her bravado disappeared when she saw that it was not Bart. "Wh-who are _you?_ What do you want?"

"Oh, we got important business, _you an' I_." Blazer grunted as he stepped inside. Felicity tried to reach her phone on the coffee table, but Blazer shattered it with a concentrated heat-blast.

" _Oh, Felisssssity!"_ An eerie voice beckoned the terrified teen. She turned around to find a monstrous version of Speedster-Man slithering up behind her. _"You should feel honored! You will help ussss bring about Sssspeedster-Man'sssss reckoning!"_

Felicity tried to scream for help, but her voice was muffled as the monster engulfed her in its body.

* * *

 **One Hour Later. On the Streets of Brooklyn.**

Bart Parker gloomily strutted away from his mentor's apartment. It was just one week before Christmas, and he was feeling anything but merry. He wondered how he was supposed to explain his recent behavior to his friends and family; so far, he didn't know if he could. He wanted to blame the suit for his predicament, but the truth was that he was at fault.

Just then, he was brought out of his glum stupor by a crowd of people in watching a live news report. "This is Lois Brand of the _Daily Times_ , coming to you from Fifty-fifth Street! Almost half an hour ago, eyewitnesses in Queens reported that an elderly woman was kidnapped from her home by what the witness described as 'the Blazer and a black-suited Speedster-Man!'"

Bart's breath hitched and his eyes widened as the report went on. "Just a moment ago, the darker speedster created a message in what appears to be a giant web, demanding that Speedster-Man come at once. Any attempts to save the woman have been halted by the Blazer." The newsfeed showed Blazer blasting police cars while the dark speedster viciously attacked the policemen. Bart wasted no time in rushing over to his house, grabbing his old costume, and heading to the crime scene, unaware that another figure followed close behind.

The people on the streets cheered when they saw the friendly neighborhood hero swinging into action. Speedster-Man landed on one of the higher levels of the construction site, trying to use his accelerated-vision to find Aunt Joan. But it wasn't working; no matter how hard he concentrated, it didn't activate.

Then he took a blow to the chest. His eyes darted around, looking for what hit him. The symbiont was standing right in front of him. Suddenly, it occurred to him; because he spent so much time letting the suit try to bond with him, it didn't register in his accelerated-vision as a threat. But wouldn't stop him; he had to save Aunt Joan.

He leaped into the air and delivered a strong kick to the thing's face. He was ready to attack again when it held up a disapproving finger. _"Ah, ah, ah! I wouldn't do that if I were you!"_ Velocity's face slithered away to reveal its new host: a girl with a black eye, whimpering when she saw Bart.

"Oh, my God! Felicity!" He gasped.

"Bart… please, help us… this thing… it's got Aunt Joan in the-"

" _No! Don't sssspoil the ssssurprissssse!"_ Velocity's face reappeared as it fired its own goopy webs, entangling Bart in a blue, slimy trap. Then, it inched closer to him, tauntingly flicking its tongue at him. _"Thisssss isss the prissssse you musssst pay! I offered you the chance to reach your full potential! But you dissssscarded me! Becausssssse you were afraid of what you would turn into! I shall_ devour _your flesssssssh! Absorb your esssssence! Are you ready for your revenge, Mr. Schultzsssss?"_

Blazer stepped out of the shadows, adjusting his gauntlets with each step. "Hell yeah, Velocity." His voice rumbled as he aimed the gauntlets at Speedster-Man. "This time, its _maximum heat_ at _minimum range_." As Velocity stepped back, Blazer's gauntlets emitted a low hum. Soon, they were glowing a bright blue, and Bart closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

But when the flames shot out, they missed. Blazer was baffled, but he tried again. Velocity was shocked to see the way its partner's body was being thrown around by an invisible force. Suddenly, a woman appeared out of nowhere and knocked Blazer out with one punch, taking him out of the fight.

Velocity roared in anger and lunged at the woman, only to but struck down by a man wielding a shield. Bart sighed in relief at the sight of Flag and Hornet. The star-spangled speedster used his shield to cut away the slimy webs and freed Bart. He explained that once they heard about Aunt Joan being kidnapped, they knew it would cause him to take action, so they decided to help.

Suddenly, Bart's accelerated-vision finally activated, and he looked up to see Aunt Joan wrapped up in a similar goopy web-trap. "Hang on, Aunt Joan!" Just as he jumped into the air, a blue web caught his leg and flung him away from his aunt. Velocity hissed violently as it attacked Hornet and Flag at an incredibly speed. Flag was able to keep up, but Hornet was too late in trying to shrink down. She was knocked into a wall, unable to move as a bearing of metal pipes were about to fall.

On instinct, Flag rushed over to his wife, raising his shield over them to protect them from impalement. Then, Bart noticed that as the pipes hit the shield, the noise was hurting Velocity, making its form harder to keep together. Using his own webs, Bart snatched two of the pipes, landed right in front of Velocity, and hit them together as hard as he could.

Sure enough, the dark speedster trembled in pain as the vibrations tore at its body. Flag understood what he was doing, so he went to help Joan as Bart dealt with the living symbiont. Speedster-Man stuck the two pipes into the ground, making them vibrate even harder. Then he grabbed more pipes, until he had created a cage for the slimy monster. At last, its form came undone long enough for Bart to grab Felicity and pull her out of the monster's grip.

But their problems were far from over. Velocity reformed itself, turning into a larger, more dangerous beast than before. It started to head toward the teens, ready to rip them to shreds and drink their blood. Bart kept Felicity behind him, promising he'd die to keep her safe.

But to everyone's shock, another speedster wearing a black and green colored suit zoomed between Velocity and Bart, and hit the cage again. The vibrations forced Velocity to revert to a smaller and weaker form, as the new speedster took out a grenade. _"What are you doing?!"_ Velocity cried as its reforming body accidentally absorbed the explosive.

"There's only room in this world for _one_ Speedster-Man clone." The mysterious teen said before running away.

Flag was able to shield Aunt Joan and Hornet from the explosion. But the shockwaves knocked Bart and Felicity off of the site. Time slowed to a crawl. Bart held his breath as he reached out to catch his friend. Desperately, his hand flicked out to fire a thin line of light-webbing. It caught her leg, and her whole body lurched when Bart put a stop to their decent. Bart was horrified.

* * *

 **Two Hours Later. Manhattan General Hospital.**

They had wasted no time in taking Felicity to the emergency room. After she was handed over to the doctors, Bart circled around the town, changed into his clothes, and came back inside. Aunt Joan hadn't said a word yet, she was too busy praying and hoping she wouldn't have to tell the poor girl's parents that they'd lost their only daughter.

Finally, one doctor stepped through the doors and walked over to the Flag. "Is… is she _okay?_ " He asked, nervously.

"She'll be _fine_ , Captain." The doctor replied. Everyone sighed in relief at the good news. "She _did_ suffer some minor damage to her lower vertebrae, and she'll be in a wheelchair for a while. But after a few months of physical therapy, I have _no doubt_ in my mind that she'll make a _full recovery_."

"Thank you, doctor." Joan said with a smile. The elder woman paid her respects to the Flag and Hornet as they went home, then she sat back down. Bart swallowed hard as he kneeled down in front of her. He couldn't put it off any longer; he needed to say it.

"Aunt Joan… I just want to say… I am _so_ … _so sorry_ for what I said today… I had no _right_ , and I have _no excuse_ … because the truth is…you _are_ my mom. You are my _whole family_ , and I _love_ you. I-I don't know if you'll ever _forgive_ me-" Joan cut him off and pulled him into a tight hug as they both cried silently. "H-how can you forgive me so _quickly?_ I thought you'd be _furious_."

"I was _never_ angry, Bart…" She explained. "I was just _afraid_. Afraid that the darkness that has plagued me my _entire life_ had finally taken _you_ away from me, too."

"I… I don't _understand_ …"

"The darkness that took away my sister, and your father, and _Jay_. I thought I was going to _lose you, too._ "

"I… I don't _deserve_ you, Aunt Joan." Bart said softly as Joan wiped away his tears.

"Did I ever tell you about my parents?" She asked. Bart shook his head. "My own mother, she _blamed me_ for them having gotten divorced. And I _believed_ her. For the longest time, I thought that I was _cursed_. And it was because of that, that I didn't want to have any children with your uncle. And then when _your parents_ died, Jay wanted to take you in. I was so _afraid_ that what happened to my parents would happen to _us_ if we did. But you _proved me wrong_." A warm smile spread across her lips. "In _less than a week_ , you completely _changed_ the dynamic of our lives. Our marriage grew _stronger_ because of you. As if you had given us this… this _light_ in our lives. So, _please_ , Bart… don't lose that light. The world may need _Speedster-Man_ … but I need my _Bart Parker_."

The two shared one more loving hug before going to see Felicity. Aunt Joan promised to do everything in her power to help with her recovery, and after making sure she was okay, she went to call the girl's parents. Bart apologized to Felicity about his behavior, even though she assured him that she understood. But Bart was still upset with how he treated Valerie and Harry. He thought all he'd be able to do was apologize and hope for the best.

 **The Next Day**

Bart sadly shuffled into the school, headed towards the student lounge. He wanted to go ahead and find his friends and beg them to forgive him. But when he found them, Felicity was already with them. When her gaze fell upon him, the other two noticed and started to walk over to him.

"Guys…" Bart started. "I-if you'd just give me a chance to-" Surprisingly, Harry and Valerie wrapped him in their arms.

"I am _so sorry_ , man." Harry said. "I-it's not like me to hit _anyone_."

"You _poor thing!_ " Valerie chimed in. "Why didn't you _tell us?_ "

"Tell you _what?_ " Bart was very confused as Felicity wheeled herself over.

"I was just explaining to them about the symptoms of your radiation psychosis."

"My-my _what?_ "

" _Radiation psychosis_." She continued. "Y'know, little _quirks_ that pop up about a year after being exposed to small doses of radiation. Like; _mood swings_ , _lapses in judgment_ , _sudden outbursts of affection_."

"Oh. Oooh! Right! Right!" Bart smiled, awkwardly.

"Seriously, though, Bart, next time this happens, just _tell us_." Valerie added.

"I will…" Bart shared a smile with his oldest friends. "So, does this mean you guys are still coming to my aunt's Christmas party?"

" _Of course_ , dude."

"Wouldn't miss it for the _world_."

Once they were gone, Bart turned back to Felicity, who now wore a sly grin on her lips. "You've got your _best friends_ back."

"I don't know how to _thank you_ … even after what I've _done?_ "

"Take me web-slinging when my legs are better, and we'll call it _even_." She chuckled as they headed for their first class.

* * *

 **Epilogue 1:**

The guards led Speedster-Man to Blazer, who sat in his cold cell with his head resting on his knees. The criminal looked up at his foe with a sad look on his face. The guards left them alone, and Bart took off his mask.

"I didn't want to become this…" Mick started. "I didn't have a _choice_."

"There's _always_ a choice." Bart replied. "You _had_ a choice when you killed my uncle."

"… my mother _died_ while we were fighting yesterday." Mick continued, sadly. "She got sick after my dad died. I was _young_ … _scared_ … I didn't wanna _lose_ my momma… I told yer uncle all I wanted was his _car_. I didn't wanna hurt him; just _scare_ him enough to run away. But when he looked at m, he wasn't _scared or mad_. He looked like he was _sorry_ for me. An' he said he wouldn't call the police… he told me ta just… put down the gun an' _go home_. Then my partner came runnin' up with the cash, an' the gun was still in my hand…"

Bart started to tear up as Blazer looked at him. "I _am_ sorry that I killed yer uncle… I'm not askin' ya ta _forgive_ me; I just want ya ta _understand_."

"I understand…" Bart choked. "And I _forgive_ you." Blazer smiled as Speedster-Man rushed away. Looking down, he noticed a plate of cookies was left for him with a note that read: "Merry Christmas."

 **Epilogue 2:**

Oswald Fisk felt giddy as Maxwell Von Havoc stepped out from the elevator. Amunet just had returned from the safe house, carrying the Radonite X with her. "Now, Mr. Von Havoc…" He began. "If you'll just hand over the _check_ -"

"What kind of _fool_ do you take me for, Oswald?" Maxwell chuckled. "You must _prove_ that this is the Radonite X before I give you your payment."

"Not to worry." Amunet chirped. "Even though Mr. Fisk wouldn't let me examine _this_ piece, I studied your father's notes. Radonite X will _explode_ when introduced to temperatures above one hundred and twenty degrees. Which we can test in my lab."

The trio entered the laboratory and Smythe chipped a sample off the Radonite X. She placed it into the temperature testing zone, adjusted the right temperature, and they waited. But nothing happened. Curiously, Smythe took the rest of the Radonite and placed it under her specialized microscope.

"I don't _believe it!_ " She gasped. "This Radonite X has been almost completely _transmuted_ into _lead!_ "

"What?!" Fisk spluttered. "How could that have happened?!"

"It would appear to be the _nature_ of Radonite X!" Smythe answered. "Its radioactive half-life must be only _a few days!_ "

"You _fool!_ Why didn't you tell me this _before?!_ "

"Because _you_ never gave me an opportunity to _study it!_ "

"Then it's _useless_." Von Havoc scoffed as he ripped up the check. "And so is this _transaction_." The young businessman exited the building with a sour expression on his face. _"I suppose my fellow masters and I will have to deal_ without _it."_ He thought.

 **To Be Continued!**


	43. Masters of Doom part 1

**Chapter XVII: The Masters of Doom! Part 1**

 **Portland, Oregon**

The Justice Legion of Avengers rode in the S.H.I.E.L.D. air-ship towards the West Coast. Over a week ago, Director Fury and the U.N. decided it would be best if the Legion was more diverse around the world. As such, several steps had been taken to expand their ranks. The first step was recruiting Hornet, Sharpshot, Black Cat, and Steel Falcon as full-time Avengers. The second step was searching for other super-beings in different countries around the world to join the other young heroes-in-training. Finally, the third was setting up new headquarters around the globe.

Luckily for Fury, Mathew Wayne and Tony Jordan were willing to help with funding. The new facilities would be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, with easy access to necessary resources, including worldwide surveillance and communications. It didn't take long for them to reach their destination.

"How much did all this _cost_ you, Matt?" Hyperman inquired as the JLA stepped out of the jet.

"I try not to think about." The blind vigilante replied as they walked inside. The Legion's newest members were awestruck as they looked around at the impressive building. Thunder Woman, however, didn't pay much attention to the new headquarters; her mind was already preoccupied.

"Something wrong, Diana?" Hyperman noticed the concern in her eyes.

"I'm just hoping that Donna does not succumb to boredom while we are away, Kent." She sighed heavily. "Odin knows she can get rather… _rambunctious_."

" _Relax_ , Diana." Hyperman replied. "Karen's with her right now. I'm sure two teenage alien girls stranded on _another planet_ can amuse each other while we're gone."

"That's _right_." Flag added. "Who knows what kind of stories their telling each other about their home planets?"

* * *

"W-O-L-F! Okay, now give me a color!" Karen beamed as her fingers gingerly adjusted the paper fortune-teller.

"Blue." Donna didn't understand how such a simple contraption could tell the future, but she liked spending time around people her own age.

"B-U-L-E! Okay, now give me a number!"

"Four."

"1-2-3-4." Karen flipped up one of the paper flaps and read the fortune. " _Oooh!_ You live in _Wisconsin!_ You're married to a rugged, yet _soft-spoken_ , college professor! His name is Terry!* And you both-!"

"Is he proficient at intercourse?"

" _Ugh_ , it doesn't say." Karen sounded annoyed.

"Oh, ask it _that!_ "

"I'm not asking it that."

"Why _not?_ " Donna whined before she remembered something she'd read about younglings on Earth. "Oh, wait, is it because you are jealous since you have yet to experience sexual contact with another?"

"Wha- _NO!_ " Karen blushed brightly. "You don't _ask_ people a question like _that!_ "

"Why _not?_ " Donna shrugged. "On _my_ planet, sexual activities are shared with close friends and family on a daily basis."

"Okay, first of all; _YUCK!_ And second of all; _seriously?_ "

"Yes, of course. Before I joined Thunder Woman, my oldest sister, Alpha-Ray Amber, would joyfully inform my family of each time her mate had either masterfully dominated her, or lovingly submitted to her in bed. Especially when he took two of his _fingers_ and stu-"

"Oh, my _God!_ " Karen covered her ears with her hands. "STOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!" Before Donna could reply, Karen flew away, faster than a speeding bullet.

"Was it something I _said?_ " the Corbanite pondered out loud. A rumble from her stomach brought Delta-Ray out of her thinking process. "Food…" she said to herself as she got up and went to the building's cafeteria. But before she could pick up her enchanted battleaxe, whips of yellow energy bound her body. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break free.

(" _Yes_ …") She heard a low voice beckoning to her. (" _Please_ … _struggle_. It will make your death taste _so much smoother_.") Donna was overwhelmed as surges of electricity forced her into unconsciousness.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the science lab, Ronnie Powell, better known as the nuclear hero, Firehawk, was going about his usual sulking. In a different time, he would have made an effort to socialize with the other trainees, but he was always living in constant fear of poisoning them with his body's radiation. When he stepped into Professor Selvig's office, Ronnie saw him hide some kind of device in his desk drawer.

"Hey, Prof." He greeted. "Whatcha workin' on?"

"Uh, _nothing_ , Ronald!" Selvig stammered.

"Okay, Professor…" Ronnie pressed on. "You are a very smart man, but you're a _crappy_ _liar_. What were you working on?"

Selvig sighed in defeat as he opened the drawer. "I… I wanted it to be a _surprise_." He was holding what appeared to be a diamond-shaped medallion with three straps on it. "It's a modified genetic-splicer." He explained. "I spent _months_ going through your personal background files, searching for samples of your DNA before the accident. When I finally gathered enough, I began designing _this_. In _theory_ , if I can program this gene-splicer to read the basic structure of your form, it will absorb the nuclear radiation that has accumulated around your core consciousness and _transmute_ it into an exact copy of your _former self_."

Ronnie felt hope rising up through his entire being. "Wait… you mean _that thing_ can turn me back to _normal?_ Why didn't you _tell_ me you were doing this?"

" _Because_ , I didn't want you to get your _hopes_ up in the event that it proves _unsuccessful_." Selvig explained. "I still need to _test it_ ; make sure that it won't _worsen_ your condition or – who is _that?_ "

The professor's answer came in the form of a razor-sharp icicle that caught his lab coat and pinned him to the wall. "What the _fu-?!_ " Just as Ronnie turned around, a stream of blue energy coated his armor, encasing him in a layer of thick ice.

"Ronald!" Selvig cried as he tried to free himself. "Whoever you are, _stop!_ If you rupture his suit, you risk contaminating this entire facility, or _worse_ causing a nuclear explosion!"

"Fear not, Professor Selvig…" A man wearing a purple parka stepped out with a blue-skinned woman in a white leotard with white fur around the edges. "We _want_ him alive."

The blue woman created another icicle on the edge of her index finger. Martin was sweating heavily as his attacker smiled wickedly. Luckily, she was stopped by Zero's hand, who gave her a disapproving look through his mask.

"Focus on the _mission_ , Killer Blizzard." He scolded. The icy woman scoffed as she tore her arm away and stormed out of the lab with Ronnie, leaving the Baron alone with the scientist. "I should have just brought _Helmut_." Zero muttered before knocking out Selvig.

* * *

In the gymnasium, Speedster-Man and Dare were sparring with each other while engaged in their usual intellectually-stimulating conversations. "Dude! I'm telling you! When you take a step back and look at the evidence, it's so obvious!" Bart said as he blocked a punch and tried to kick.

"And _I'm_ telling _you_ that I have studied this subject for years and won _countless_ arguments with my peers about it! There is _no way_ that what you just said is true!" Tim refuted, blocking the kick and going for a double jab.

Bart blocked the jabs just as the automated timer sounded, signaling for a break. "It is _too!_ At the end of John Carpenter's _The Thing_ , Childs has been replaced by an alien!"

"He was wearing his _earring_ at the end!" Tim defended himself as he tossed a cold bottle of water at his friend.

" _So!?_ " Bart snorted before chugging the water down.

"The Norwegian prequel movie _clearly_ points out that the alien _can't_ replicate inorganic matter!"

"Pfft! Yeah, but maybe it learned to put _freakin' jewelry_ on after it took the people over! It _was_ a smart alien."

"That may be but consider this…" Tim jumped onto Bart, dodging the blast of electricity.

"What the _hell_ , man!?" Bart shoved the Boy Wonder off of him, only to instantly understand what he was doing. Two unknown hostiles were standing on the other side of the gym. The first was a woman dressed in a green body-suit with white lightning bolts around it. The other was a man in a red dress-suit with a black tie that matched his red and black skin.

"What th-?!" the man shook his head in confusion when he saw Dare. "Didn't I kill you, _already?_ Oh, well, the _more_ the _merrier!_ " He took out a knife and spun it in his palm. But before he could do anything, the woman stomped her foot on the ground, sending charges of paralyzing energy directly at the teens. Soon they were out cold, and the man pouted at his ally. "Party-pooper. No cake for _you!_ "

* * *

Marvelgirl hovered through the hangar, trying to clear her mind of her previous conversation with Donna. She didn't know why it bothered her so much, even before Radon was destroyed, her parents had taught her about what the humans call "the birds and the bees." Maybe it was because of how detailed Donna's story was, or the way she started it, but whatever it was, it made her uncomfortable.

She sighed heavily and decided to burn the memory out of her mind with her favorite thing: music. She placed the headphones over her ears, hit play, and began to sing and dance in the air to her favorite songs. "I guess I just lost my _husband_ , I dunno where he _went!_ So, I'm gonna drink my _money_ , I'm not gonna pay his _rent!_ I got a brand new _attitude_ , an' I'm gonna wear it _tonight!_ I wanna get in _trouble_ , I wanna _start a fight!_ Na na na na na _na!_ I'm gonna get in a _fight!_ Na na na na na _na!_ I'm gonna start a _fight!_ "

"Good, then this is on _you!_ " Karen didn't hear the voice, but she felt the shock of twenty-thousand volts zapping her in the back.

Once she hit the ground, she immediately got up to face her attacker. Teeth clenched, fists glowing, eyes burning with anger, she lunged toward Circuit Breaker and delivered a powerful blow that would've killed normal humans. Circuit Breaker wiped the blood from her lips and stood back up, her fingers still cackling with electricity.

"You _really_ wanna try this?" Marvelgirl crossed her arms as a smug expression spread over her face. "I am Hyperman's _freaking cousin!_ He's whopped the asses of bad guys _ten times_ your size! I'm not as strong as he is _yet_ , but I'm no _pushover_. Did you really think you could just take me on _by yourself?_ "

Just then, Black Dynamo revealed himself, wielding his signature energy whips. "Oh, there's _two_ of you…" Marvelgirl said before regaining her composure. "Okay, _no problem_ , I can still take you on!"

Soon after, the cold-themed villains appeared. "Oh, _wow_. _Four_. Aheh, alright, no big deal. I'll just, _uh-_ "

Much to her surprise, Slaughter and Absorba made themselves visible. "Aw, _c'mon!_ This is _crazy!_ "

"And what's wrong with _that?!_ " Slaughter cackled. "It's done _wonders_ for me!"

Marvelgirl wasn't going to wait any longer. She flew towards the villains, but Black Dynamo grabbed a crate and launched it at her. The Teen of Might blocked the crate without harming herself, but it left herself open to two icy blasts. Her plasma-powered hands melted the frost away, and she managed to knock Killer Blizzard back with a plasma-bolt.

Unfortunately, she wouldn't have very long to celebrate. Black Dynamo soon had her hands tangled up in his yellow energy, while Circuit Breaker zapped her from the front. The pain was unbearable, but Marvelgirl refused to give up. Gathering her strength, she gripped the yellow energy and swung Dynamo into Circuit Breaker, temporarily taking them out of the fight.

Baron Zero tried to freeze her as she flew towards him and Slaughter, but she pressed on. Eventually, she reached the two, and knocked their heads together. "See?!" She happily panted. "Half the _size_ , twice the _heart!_ " But suddenly, a familiar sickness overcame her. Her head felt light, her knees wobbled, her breath hitched, and she fell to the ground.

Maxwell Von Havoc stepped out from the shadows, admiring the glowing ring on his finger. "Ah… one of the _few good things_ I inherited from my father." The closer he got to Karen with that ring, the worse she felt. She instantly recognized it as Radonite. "Absorba, if you'd be _so kind?_ "

The Expanding Woman touched the tip of his ring with her pinky finger, transforming her skin into pure Radonite. Now, she could carry Marvelgirl without worrying about her trying to escape. "Have the other protégés been secured?"

"Ja, Herr Havoc." Baron Zero replied.

"Excellent, now, let us head back to the rendezvous point… for _phase two_ of our plan."

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 ***Terry is the name of Donna Troy's ex-husband in DC Comics.**

 **Max Von Havoc(Dr. Doom/Lex Luthor/Maxwell Lord)**

 **Black Dynamo aka Anton Hand(Crimson Dynamo/Black Hand/Sinestro)**

 **Absorba aka Carla Creel(Absorbing Man/Giganta)**

 **Baron Zero aka Leonard Zemo(Baron Zemo/Captain Cold)**

 **Killer Blizzard aka Catlin Gill(Blizzard/Killer Frost)**

 **Slaughter(Carnage/Joker)**

 **Circuit Breaker(Electro/Livewire)**

 **Masters of Doom(Masters of Evil/Legion of Doom)**


	44. Masters of Doom part 2

**Chapter XVII: Masters of Doom! Part 2**

 **Unknown Location**

Tim Lopez, also known as Dare, groggily opened his eyes, only to close them again due to the bright red light. Opening them again, at a much slower pace this time, he saw that he and his friends were being held in some kind of prison. Looking down, he noticed that his utility belt had been taken away and his hands were chained to the floor. Then, he inspected his friends who were still unconscious.

Bart Allen, alias Speedster-Man, was wearing some kind of special braces that bound his arms and legs together. Tim deduced that they were emitting some kind of energy that negated his connection to the Speed Force. Next was Delta-Ray Donna. She had her arms and legs bound in shining chains; Tim remembered studying something about a special metal that canceled out magic. Karen Danvers, alias Marvelgirl, and Ronnie Powell, alias Firehawk, were the easiest to figure out. The red light Tim noticed earlier was obviously a red sun lamp, and Firehawk was frozen in a block of ice, twenty feet away from the rest of them.

"Well, well, _well_ , the Boy Blunder is awake…" Tim craned his head around to face a sinister grin. Slaughter was wiping a knife with his black handkerchief as he stepped closer to the cage. "I should've guessed you were a _new_ brat that Gargoyle picked up off of the street… I just thought you were really _tan_."

Tim didn't say anything; he wasn't going to let this psychopath bait him. But he honestly didn't need to; Slaughter's chuckle began to deepen as he continued. "Has he even _told_ _you_ about what happened to your predecessor, _muchacho?_ " Tim kept a straight face, in spite of the demeaning tone.

"Y'see, _ese_ , Gargoyle had _two_ little brats before you came along. Now, the _first_ , he gave it up after a while. Heh heh! _Spoilsport!_ But the _second_ … oh, he was a _real_ bag of laughs. Unfortunately, for him, he _dared_ to go above and beyond ol' _pointy-ears'_ expectations. See what I did there? Ha-ha! _Any who_ , the little runt thought he could take me on by _himself!_ Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! _By himself!_ _HA-HA-HA!_ And so - hehehehehehehe! I-ha-ha-ha-hyeee…. _I_ _beat 'im to death with a crowbar!_ AH-ha! Ah-heh-heh-heh…" Tim's face showed sheer shock as the Slaughter gasped for breath. "Oh, I _love_ that story. Cracks me up every time."

"That's _enough_ , Slaughter…" A stern voice came from the shadows.

"Oh, _lighten up_ , Maxie! I was just having some _fun!_ " Slaughter chuckled as he walked off. When the crimson-skinned madman disappeared, the other man made himself visible. By now, everyone else was waking up. The Teen of Might was shocked at the sight of the man before them.

"Maxwell Von Havoc?" She stuttered. "What have _you_ got to do with this?"

"I happen to be the _mastermind_ behind this little plot, my friends…" His voice was calm and smooth. "But don't worry; my associates and I are only after your mentors. If you _behave_ , you will make it out of this _alive_."

"But… w-why are you _doing this?_ " Karen croaked.

"Well, that's simple enough…" Havoc smiled. "I want to _kill_ Hyperman…"

"Oh, I see…" Bart's eyebrows knitted together in anger as the realization hit him. "You're this _big, successful, entrepreneur_ who has _everything_ anybody could ever want. But then comes along _Hyperman_ and it turns out you're _not_ the most popular guy in Metropia anymore!"

Havoc glanced at the young speedster with a look of contempt. "You can't _really_ be so _stupid_ as to think this is about something as _petty_ as _jealousy_." The teens looked at each other in bemusement. "If that were true, _I_ would've been the one to kill Simon Hammer. I'm doing this to _protect the world._ "

"By killing _Hyperman?_ " Marvelgirl scoffed.

"It _does_ sound rather _paradoxical_." Donna agreed.

"Well, I wouldn't expect _you_ to understand…" Havoc's tone began to slowly shift to anger. "Ah, _yes_ … the _gods_ among _men_ … unfortunately, in your _youth_ you are too _ignorant_ to realize what your self-appointed godhood _threatens_ for the _rest_ of us. You see, my young friends, what we call 'God' depends on our _tribe_. Because God _is_ tribal. God _takes sides_. I know this from _experience_ … believe me, _I do_ …" His eyes began to twitch, his mouth twisted into a snarl, and his eyes narrowed as he angrily continued. " _I do!_ No _righteous_ _angel_ _of love and forgiveness_ ever came to save _me_ or _my sister_ from our father's _wrath and abominations!_ _NO!_ I was smart enough to discover _long ago_ ; if God is _all-powerful_ , He cannot be _all-good_. And if He is _all-good_ , then He cannot be _all-powerful_. And neither can _Hyperman_ be."

"Hyperman is a _hero_. He _helps_ people." Tim retorted.

" _Today_ , perhaps…" Havoc straightened himself and continued. "But he's _lost_ his faith in humanity _before_. What happens when he does so, _again?_ He has the power to wipe out the _entire human race_ , and if there is so much as a _one percent_ chance that he would do such a thing, it _must_ be taken as an _absolute certainty_."

"You're _psychotic!_ " Karen groaned.

"Hm." Max chuckled, sounding mildly impressed. "That is a _three-syllable word_ for any thought too small for _little minds_." He lightly tapped his finger on the de-powered Radonian's forehead. "Change is coming children… be _prepared_." The villain walked out of the room with a confident smile on his face when his phone rang.

"Hello? Oh, Mercy. _Perfect timing_. Wait what? Oh, well, where are you going? _Really?_ We haven't eaten from _there_ in a while. Okay, sure, uh… get me a _ham on rye_ with _spicy mustard_ … uh, _potato chips_ , I guess. No, no, _no_ ; its _fine_ , I'll stick with that. Okay, thanks-wait, what? Oh, uh, diet sprite. Okay. _Okay_. Than-wait, what? I…" His cheeks reddened as he checked to see if anyone was watching. Then he whispered into his phone before hanging up. "I love you, too."

Meanwhile, once they he was certain they were alone; Tim turned his attention to his friends. "Okay, anybody have any _ideas?_ "

"Donna?" Bart craned his neck as far as it would go. "You've got Thunder Woman's powers, right? Can you have your axe come and break us out?"

"I can't…" Donna sighed in defeat. "The Nth metal is blocking my connection to Stormbreaker. In just a few more hours, I'll be reverted to an ordinary Corbanite. Perhaps Ronald could come to our aid?"

No one had the heart to tell Donna about Ronnie's condition. Tim's mind started calculating a plan to help his friends escape, but the horrifying story Slaughter told him about Jason was making it hard for him to focus. Then, he remembered the special augmentation Gargoyle claimed to have added to his costume after the ordeal. Using a coordinated sequence with his fingers, a pin snapped out of the glove that could reach the locks of his restraints.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, back in Oregon**

"And that concludes our tour of your new headquarters." Col. Rick Hill was finishing his presentation with the West Coast League. "Now, despite the fact that Director Fury assigned me to be your _official_ _taskmaster_ , you'll need a field leader. Personally, I think the role should fall on Sharpshot."

The archer was surprised at the Colonel's choice. He may have been an agent far longer than the others, but he'd never been part of an official team before, let alone led one. "With all due respect, sir," He replied. "I believe you should give that position to Agent Romanoff or West. Both have had more experience in group missions than I have."

"What?" Selina whipped her head in his direction. "Oliver, no. You've waited to come out of the shadows your _whole career_ , and now you're being given the opportunity of a _lifetime!_ "

" _No_ , Selina!" Oliver replied. " _You're_ the logical choice for this!"

"Alright, _calm down!_ " Flag intervened. "Shouting isn't going to solve _anything!_ So, _instead_ , let's settle this the _American way_ : with a _secret ballet_."

Before anything else could be said, the main computer screen activated an alert that caught everyone's attention. Hill's fingers quickly typed the proper commands into the keyboard, opening a message sent directly from S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in New York. Fury's message was in the form of a video. Hill played it, immediately, and the red and black face that appeared left most of the group frozen in fear.

"Ladies and _gentlemen!_ " Slaughter's eerie voice sent shivers down almost everyone's spines. "We interrupt your regularly scheduled _mayhem_ to bring you _this important announcement_ …" The deformed serial killer panned the camera around to reveal Circuit Breaker, Black Dynamo, Baron Zero, Killer Blizzard, and Absorba. "From the _Masters of Doom!_ Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"Greetings, Justice Legion…" Baron Zero's icy voice took the lead. "We have spent _months_ pooling our resources together, waiting for the right moment to strike… and we have _found it_ …" The camera turned again to show the villains' helpless captives.

Steve and Sharon held each other close as they saw the looks on their faces. Tony's fingers instinctively brushed over his ring; as they always did when he felt guilty. Diana's grip tightened around her hammer's hilt, just as Kent's eyes glowed with power. The other West Coast Leaguers whispered to each other about the next course of action. Gargoyle couldn't see what was happening on the screen, but the heartbeats of his teammates gave it away.

"As you can see, we have your apprentices at _our_ mercy…" Zero continued. "We have not yet inflicted any _serious_ harm, but whether or not we _do_ is based on your following of _these conditions_ : _first_ , only Hyperman, Thunder Woman, Flag, Emerald Man, and Gargoyle are to face us. If _anyone_ _else_ is to be seen, they will _die, instantly_. _Second_ , you will meet us at these coordinates at approximately _twenty hundred hours, Mountain Time_." The coordinates flashed on the screen, leading to the Badlands in South Dakota. "Once we have what we want, the children will be set free. But keep in mind; if you are to _violate_ our conditions…"

Slaughter turned the camera back to face him. "The little _kiddies_ are going to have _one… bad… day._ Hehehehehe!" The video ended in static, leaving everyone in stunned silence. Kent may not have been able to tap into the Speed Force, but his perception was fast enough to spot his oldest friend brashly rushing towards the door.

"Steve, _stop!_ " He grabbed the Flag at the last minute. "We need to be _smart_ about this!"

"I am _not_ going to let this happen _again!_ " Steve struggled to break free from Hyperman's grasp.

"What can we do?" Sharon anxiously wondered. "What can we _do?!_ "

"Everyone. Stop. Talking." Matt's cowl hung down his back as his fists rested on the table. His genius-intellect was currently going through every possible scenario, calculable. No one dared to speak, lest they interrupt him. At last, his blank gaze fell upon the others. "Here's the plan…"

* * *

 **43.8554 degrees North, 102.3397 degrees West. Ten o' Clock P.M.**

The five heroes arrived at their destination on time. Hyperman's telescopic vision spotted the cabal of villains waiting for them at the base of the mountains. The overconfident looks on their faces made his anger flare up. The two teams approached each other, everyone looking at each other.

"As you can see; we've come _alone_." Hyperman stated.

"Excellent…" Baron Zero smiled under his mask. "Then let us _begin_." A blast of blue energy encased the Man of Might's head in a block of ice. As Hyperman stumbled backwards, the rest of the JLA rushed the Masters of Doom.

Thunder Woman went up against Circuit Breaker and Killer Blizzard, who fended her off her attack with a combined force of shock and frost. "Sisters!" Thunder Woman pleaded as her spinning hammer blocked their combined blasts. "Surely, thou must realize that putting innocent children in harm's way is not the way! Abandon this violent path and join me in _sisterhood!_ "

The female furies looked at each other with blank expressions. Then, they laughed sarcastically before continuing their assault. "Worth a _shot_ …" Diana muttered under her breath. The goddess' charged itself with sensational power just as her enemies were weakening. But just as she was about to strike, Absorba's hand stopped its impact. The Expanding Woman grinned as her skin shifted to the same metal as Mjolnir.

Hyperman's eyes glowed brightly as his heat vision melted away the ice. Once his vision cleared, he saw Flag and Zero in an intense battle of speed vs. cold. Clenching his fists, Hyperman managed to take four steps before Thunder Woman was thrown on top of him. The energized Absorb laughed hysterically as she proceeded to pound the two strongest Avengers into the ground.

Gargoyle took his oldest foe, one-on-one. The Clown Prince of Chaos giggled happily as he slashed at the Blind Crusader. Jason's face kept flashing in Gargoyle's mind, and with it, the crippling memory of how he failed him. "No more!" He bellowed as he landed a powerful blow to Slaughter's jaw. "I'll _never_ forgive myself!" His rage was unbearable as he kept beating at his enemy's face. "No matter how many people you've _murdered_ , I let you _live!_ "

"I never _kept count_." Slaughter chuckled, in spite of himself.

"I _did_." Matt's voice darkened as he lifted him up.

"I _know_ …" The maniac grinned as he dug his poison-tipped dagger into Gargoyle's chest. "And I _love_ ya for it!"

In that moment, Baron Zero forgot about the constant pain Cold X had inflicted upon him as the adrenaline pumped through his veins. Ever since he'd discovered the Flag's weakness, he'd gone down in history as the man who could stop the Flag in his tracks. And thanks to his new allies, the fleet-footed soldier was alone in fighting the immortal conqueror. After he disposed of him, Zero would go on to lead H.I.D.R.A. to victory in overthrowing the world government and create a perfect world order.

The Flag braced his shield against the icy blast as he made his way towards his nemesis. The intense cold wouldn't break the vibranium, but it was enough to temporarily slow Steve down so that Killer Blizzard could fire an icicle to knock his defense away. Zero's smile grew wider as Flag was caked in frost.

At last, it was down to Emerald Man. While he was initially surprised at how well Hand had been able to replicate his technology, the Green Guardian held his ground. Blow for blow, blast for blast, the two armored warriors seemed to be evenly matched. "Aya, is there any way to scan his armor for potential weaknesses?"

" _Allow me a moment, sir."_ Aya's artificial voice chirped. _"I wouldn't exactly consider this a_ weakness _, but it seems his suit lacks the necessary components to shape the arc energy into more elaborate constructs."_

"That'll _work!_ " Tony's confidence grew. Forming a bubble-like shield, he forged his energy into multiple firearms and blasted the Russian with everything he had. At first, Dynamo looked like he was in trouble, but his jets propelled him forward, ramming Emerald Man head-on. This left Tony disoriented just enough for Black Dynamo to clap his hand over his chest plate, and upload a virus. Emerald Man's armor was offline.

"Well, done my friends…" Baron Zero applauded. "Now, let us return to Mr. Von Havoc for _phase three_ of our master stroke."

 **To Be Continued!**

 **West Coast League(West Coast Avengers/Justice League Detroit)**


	45. Masters of Doom part 3

**Chapter XVII: The Masters of Doom! Part 3**

 **Metropia, NY. Twenty-One Years Ago**

" _Ninety-six percent!?_ " Maxwell Von Havoc, Sr. scolded as he struck his fifteen-year-old son with a leather belt. "How _dare_ you give me anything other than your very best?! You _ungrateful_ , _lazy_ , _good-for-nothing brat!_ " The boy didn't scream. He hadn't screamed since his father's abuse began when he was five.

The elder Von Havoc's abusive behavior stemmed from a failed attempt at killing Hyperman in the 1940's out of an egotistical desire to be the Metropia's hero. He had used his resources to uncover the secret identity of Hyperman and had his parents kidnapped. Manipulating the Flag into fighting the Man of Might, Havoc Sr. had calculated what he thought to be a full-proof plan to destroy Hyperman. If the Flag had killed Hyperman, the Radonian would be gone for good. If Hyperman had killed the Flag, his reputation would be tarnished forever.

Unfortunately, the two heroes discovered the plot, put their differences aside, and defeated Von Havoc. The distraught businessman spent forty years in prison because of his failure; spending all that time building up his anger and frustration. Knowing that he could never defeat his enemy, he decided he would take it out on his two children. Maxwell Jr., however, had inherited his father's pride, and refused to ever give him the satisfaction of making him scream.

"If you try this shit when you get into college next week, _you'll_ regret it, Junior…" Von Havoc gave his son one final strike before storming off. The boy wiped the blood away from his mouth and limped over to his little sister, who sobbed as she nursed her black eye. Max held Lena in his arms, carrying her to bed as he comforted her. When she was only six years old, Lena Von Havoc was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, but that didn't save her from her father's abuse.

"Please, Maxie…" the little girl cried. "Please, don't leave me alone with him."

"I _won't_ , Lena…" Max assured. After he laid his sister to bed, he went back to his own bedroom. Taking a vile of poison and a forged last will and testament out from behind his pillow, he headed back downstairs. Slipping the forged will into his father's private vault, and then pouring the poison into his father's coffee grounds, the young Von Havoc smiled wickedly. "I'll _never_ leave you alone with him…"

* * *

 **MAXCORP, Metropia. Present Day**

Maxwell Von Havoc Jr. rubbed the tears from his eyes as he pocketed the picture of Lena. Despite all of the success he'd achieved over the years, he still couldn't bring himself to face his sister. Not since he'd failed her.

"Max?" Mercy's voice came from the intercom.

"Yes, Mercy?" Von Havoc pressed the flashing red button as he cleared his throat.

"Thought I'd add on to your streak of good luck; the lab-coats have finally got project *FAS-MLE off the ground. The only problem is it'll take three more years."

"That's quite _alright_ , Mercy…" Max smiled at the green ring on his finger. "I've got _all_ the _time_ in the _world_."

The corrupt businessman slowly made his way down to the basement of the massive office building. Once there, he was greeted by his fellow super-villains as they had just opened a bottle of champagne. The criminals looked upon their fallen enemies before them, laughing manically at the thought of their demise. At last, Von Havoc raised his glass for a toast.

"To victory!"

"To victory!" The others cheered.

"To the Masters of Doom!"

"To the Masters of Doom!"

"Wait!" Baron Zero interjected. "In addition to the toast; I've wanted to _kill_ the Flag for nearly eight _decades_. But thanks to your cooperation, I will not just simply _kill him_ … I have _humiliated him._ "

"Here, _here!_ " Absorba, who had not shifted out of her Uru-form since touching Mjolnir, applauded.

"Each of us _finally_ got the better of our opposite numbers!" Ivan Hand raised his glass. "And it is all thanks to _Mr. Von Havoc_ for uniting us!"

But as everyone else enjoyed their time together, Slaughter quietly made his way to the building's secluded prison. The crimson-skinned killer cackled to himself as he toyed with his switch-blade. Now that the others had gotten what they wanted, Slaughter was going to drag Dare in front of Gargoyle and skin him alive. But his chuckling came to an abrupt end when he reached the prison.

"What the hell?!" Dare's chains were empty, and he was nowhere to be seen. Worse yet, the others were gone as well; even Firehawk's ice block was melted out. The Crimson Killer rushed back to his cohorts. "The brats are free!"

"What?!" Everyone gasped, and rushed towards their other captives. Much to their shock, the young heroes were rushing to free their mentors. Black Dynamo acted quickly, aiming his yellow-powered energy ring and blasting the teenagers away.

Firehawk recovered first, and without thinking, lifted his arms into the air. He meant to just create a wall of flames to keep the villains away, but to everyone's surprise, he had changed the oxygen between them into an iron wall. The nuclear hero was dumbfounded at what had just happened, but the others weren't going to complain. "Get Hyperman first! Get Hyperman first! Get Hyperman first!" They all shouted at Dare, who was smashing the red-sunlight lamp with his dual batons. Finally, the last son of Radon woke up and used his heat vision to free the other members of the JLA.

"Yes!" Donna cheered. "Now, let us join forces to defeat these lowly – WAAAAUGH!" The Corbanite was interrupted by Absorba's mighty punch, still powered by her Uru-form. With the side-kick out of the way, the Expanding Woman began her assault on Thunder Woman.

Circuit Breaker went directly for Hyperman and Marvelgirl, bombarding them with thousands of electrical jolts. Marvelgirl blocked it with her plasma-charged fists, telling her cousin to find Von Havoc. After Hyperman sped away, she gave her full attention over to her attacker. With incredible strength, she forced her legs to step closer and closer to her shocking enemy. Circuit Breaker fell to the ground after receiving a hyper-dense head-butt.

Flag and Speedster-Man teamed-up to take on Killer Blizzard. The frosty female shrieked as she strained to keep up with the two swift heroes. "Zero! Get your ass over here and _help!_ " The leader of H.I.D.R.A. stood, motionless, as he gazed at his oldest foe. Once again, it seemed the American Super-Soldier had managed to escape a full-proof death trap. Who was to say that the Justice Legion would not emerge victorious over the Masters even with his help? Zemo's calculating mind focused as he struggled to make a difficult decision. He could either help the Masters and give them a slight chance at pulling through, or he could take advantage of Flag's distraction, escape back to H.I.D.R.A., and put his contingency plan into motion.

"Next time, Herr Flag…" He muttered to himself. " _Next time_ …"** And with that, Baron Zero tactically withdrew from the battle as the speedsters finished off Blizzard.

Absorba threw the Goddess of Thunder around the room, laughing maniacally as her Uru-form gave her the advantage. However, she quickly grew bored as it seemed Thunder Woman wasn't even trying to defend herself. This made Absorba angry.

"C'mon, Thunder _bitch!_ " She snarled as Diana stood back up. "Put up your _fists!_ Fight _back!_ "

"I _cannot_ , sister…" Diana answered with a cocky grin. "I am _concentrating_."

Absorba cracked her knuckles and prepared for another punch. But just as she swung her fist, her entire body froze in place. "W-what the-?!" She stuttered. "I can't _move!_ What's goin' _on?!_ "

"The Uru of Mjolnir is not _yours_ to command, sister…" Diana lifted her hand, forcing Absorba to rise up into the air, charging with blue lightning. "It is _mine_."

Without warning, Absorba crashed into her fellow Masters of Doom. Black Dynamo tried to save himself with a focused ion-blast, but the indestructible Uru-skinned woman plowed through his blasts and critically damaged his suit. Absorba's flesh shifted back to normal as she passed out from the pain, Ivan tried to push her off of his body, but Emerald Man reacted quickly, putting an energy bubble around the felons.

Slaughter's hysterical laughter filled the entire room as he slashed and hacked at Dare. The Hispanic acrobat used his nightsticks to narrowly deflect each blow, but he was beginning to tire out. Slaughter's knives came crashing down on the Boy Wonder, pinning him to the ground as he barely kept the blades from breaking his skin.

Suddenly, a grappling wire wrapped around Slaughter's neck and pulled him away from Dare. Gargoyle threw his arch-nemesis into the wall, clenching his neck as he repeatedly punched the maniac in the face. "Ya gonna _do it_ , this time?" Slaughter smiled weakly. "Or ya just gonna put me in another _body cast_ for six months?" Gargoyle sneered as painful memories of Jason's quiet heart flashed through his mind. As did the memories of all the other horrible crimes Slaughter had committed over the years. If he squeezed just hard enough, he'd never have to worry about him ever again.

But he couldn't do it. He knocked his foe unconscious, and left him bound in handcuffs.

Meanwhile, Hyperman tried using his x-ray vision to find Von Havoc, but the walls were lined with lead. Truthfully, he couldn't believe that Maxwell Von Havoc, Metropia's most eligible bachelor would ever attempt to destroy the Avengers. For a moment, he wondered if it was because he blamed him for sending his father to prison, and this was all an elaborate revenge plot.

Just then, the hallway closed around him, and bright red lights lit up the room, reducing his hyper-strength to the level of a normal human. Then, a familiar sickness made his bones ache as he saw a silhouette approach him.

"Hello, sunshine…" Von Havoc smirked as he slipped the Radonite ring off of his finger and placed it in a lead-lined box. He set the box aside, took off his blazer and tie, and rolled up his sleeves. "Don't worry; all I wanted was to reduce you to a _human_. I'm going to kill you _without_ the Radonite."

Hyperman hit Max with a strong right-cross. The businessman staggered back, but was otherwise unfazed by the blow. He retaliated with a sharp jab to Hyperman's chin, knocking him to the ground. "I, honestly, can't _think_ of a morning…" Max kicked his hated enemy in the stomach. "That I _haven't_ woken up with the thought of _strangling you!_ " Hyperman got up, quickly, punching Max in the face and stomach to defend himself. He may have been de-powered, but he could still hold his own in a fight. The two men stopped for a brief moment to catch their breath, then Max advanced again, hitting the Man of Might upside the head with both fists.

"You come to this planet…" Max positioned himself over Hyperman, wrapping his fingers around his throat. "Declare yourself to be the _savior_ of mankind…" Hyperman choked as Von Havoc's snarl grew wider. "But where were you, when _I_ needed you?! When _my sister_ needed you?! Maybe it's time you _died_ for your sins!" Kent struggled to free himself, but his efforts were in vain. His breaths grew weaker and everything was starting to go dark. For a moment, he thought he could see his parents inviting him to join them.

But then, Max felt a sharp pain in his chest. The entrepreneur groaned in discomfort as he released his grip on Hyperman. Kent gasped for air and forced himself to sit up. "Max?" He called out, rubbing his head. Much to his shock, Max was laying down on the ground, shaking uncontrollably as foam dripped from the edges of his mouth. "Max!" Hyperman cried.

* * *

 **Metropia General Hospital. Three Hours Later.**

Maxwell's eyes slowly opened to adjust to the brightly lit room. When his vision cleared, he was most disappointed to see a bright red "H" standing at the end of his bed. "YOU!" He shouted. He didn't know how he ended up in a hospital, but he quickly deduced that the Masters had failed.

"Max, this is Dr. Lang." Hyperman said, calmly. "He's got something to tell you."

" _No_ , _I've_ got something to tell _you!_ " Max fumed. "Whatever those _criminals_ told you won't hold up in court! I'll get the best _lawyers_ , the best _witnesses_ , the best-!"

"MAX!" Hyperman interrupted. "None of that _matters_ right now."

"Mr. Von Havoc, from what Hyperman described, I believe you suffered a seizure." The doctor began. "Has this happened to you before?" Max didn't answer; he just narrowed his eyes, angrily. "I examined your bloodstream after we finally stabilized you. You have developed a strange form of _cancer_."

"What?!" Max snatched the clipboard out of the doctor's hand. "That's _impossible!_ How could this have _happened?!_ "

"How _long_ did you say you've kept that Radonite ring?" Hyperman inquired.

"What _about it?_ Radonite only affects _you_."

"Actually, from what my _tests_ show, it can affect _humans_ , too." The doctor corrected. "But only if they've been exposed to it for an _extended period of time_."

Max's eyes flared with anger. "This is _your_ fault! _All of it!_ " He threw the clipboard at Hyperman, who didn't even flinch as it made contact. "Are you _happy_ now, Hyperman?"

"Max…" Hyperman offered, sincerely. "If there's _anything_ I can do to _help-_ "

"You've done _more_ than enough." Max spat as he crossed his arms.

Kent felt hurt. "Marvelgirl told me what you said." He said softly. "I'm _sorry_ for what your father put you through, but I _never_ wanted you to let your hatred mold you into the person you became. You've done _so much good_ for this world, Max. And I honestly like to believe you did it out of the goodness of your soul. If you could've moved past your resentment, we could've worked _together_ … we should've been _friends_ , Max."

"… get out." Max answered, coldly. Hyperman sighed, mournfully, and left the building.

The next few months felt like Hell on Earth to Max. Despite avoiding time in prison for collaborating with wanted felons, he was removed from his company's board of directors and ordered into probationary retirement. Mercy promised to keep things under control for him, but it didn't help. The chemotherapy sessions worsened his mood, as he knew they were all in vain.

He sat in his mansion on the outskirts of Metropia, sipping scotch as he wallowed in his self-pity. He would die, alone and forgotten, knowing that he'd failed his sister once again. Then, the red lightning appeared.

Red Zoom and Minerva the Enchantress looked down at him with broad smiles as he looked dazed and surprised. **"Mr. Von Havoc…"** Red Zoom greeted. **"It is a pleasure to finally meet you."**

"What the _hell_ is going on?" He demanded as he stood up.

"Good question." Minerva chimed in. "Here's a _better_ one; do you believe in _second chances_."

"You…" He pointed to the witch in cheetah–skin. "You're supposed to be _dead_."

"Yes, I've been told that 2017 is not really my _best_ year, but Red Zoom promises me he can _change that_."

 **"And I can do the same for** _ **you**_ **, Maxwell."** Red Zoom continued. **"I can cure you of your ailment and give you the power to destroy Hyperman. All you have to do is** _ **help me**_ **find what I'm looking for."**

The super-swift Fascist extended his arm, offering Max a deal that was impossible to pass up. This situation was rather foreboding, but the way Max saw it; he really didn't have anything to lose.

 **To Be Continued!**

 ***If ANYONE can guess what FAS-MLE is, I will give you a cookie!**

 ****Yes, Baron Zero just pulled a Cobra Commander!**


	46. Mystic Mayhem part 1

**Chapter XVIII: Mystic Mayhem! Part 1**

 _Long ago, when the Asgardians, Olympians, and Pantheons came to Earth, a shape-shifting monster of darkness attacked the helpless planet. The monster's name was Trigammu, a being that came from a dimension of death and misery. During his reign, the people of Earth suffered greatly as the demonic atrocity laid waste to their world. The few humans who worshipped him became his acolytes, aiding in the spread of his foul evil. For centuries, all hope seemed lost._

 _But, one day, a gifted sorcerer, wielding an ancient ring, stepped forth to oppose Trigammu. The sorcerer revealed himself as Aganabu, and claimed that he would banish the evil monster and his zealots. No one knows how, but the ring upon the young sorcerer's finger granted him the power to force Trigammu out of our world and back into his own dimension. From that moment forward, Aganabu was known as the first Sorcerer Supreme._

 _For years, Aganabu served the people of Earth, protecting them from the threats of Trigammu's world. But as time went on, Aganabu realized that he would not live forever; he created a monastery in Tibet to act as both a training ground for future sorcerers and a mystic barrier against Trigammu. And so, for centuries, the Sorcerers Supreme have used their power to defend the world from any mystic entity that threatens the Earth._

 _Until now…_

* * *

Dr. Zatanna Strange, M.D. was once one of the most well-known surgeons in the world. Following in her father's footsteps, her work had saved countless lives of hundreds, but only so long as they could pay her fees. For every patient she'd saved, it felt as if there were five others she'd turned away. Naturally, she faced harsh criticism because of this, but it rarely ever bothered her. Until she became a patient.

She had been hit by a drunk driver on a stormy night, causing her to crash through the windshield of her car and severely damage her hands. Stubbornly, she wasted all of her money attempting to fix them, in a futile attempt to have her old life back. But none of the operations were able to restore her; her hands would never stop shaking, and therefore, never perform surgery again. After losing her medical license, Zatanna stumbled into a deep depression. As she finally reached the age of fifty, Zatanna led herself to the Golden Gate Bridge and tried to jump.

That was the day she met Wotan Mordo.

He claimed he was a student to a great woman who could give the former doctor another purpose in life. Naturally, Zatanna was skeptical, but she had been offered a place to sleep for a while and a good meal, so she went along with it. When they arrived in Tibet, Zatanna was greeted by Wotan's master; an elderly woman who introduced herself as Madam Wise.

What happened next came as a shock to the vain woman. Madam Wise revealed to her that her father, Giovanni, was secretly a member of arcane practitioners dedicated to protecting the world from mystic threats. Because of her father, Zatanna inherited the potential to manipulate magic and become a new student.

Zatanna spent three years training under Wotan, until she was finally on the same level as her father. Today, Wotan had been ordered to bring Zatanna before Madam Wise. The two sorcerers made their way through the monastery, and sat down in front of their teacher.

"Good morning, Madam Wise." They chimed in unison.

"Good morning, Master Mordo… Madam Strange…" The Sorcerer Supreme nodded as she sipped her tea. Zatanna groaned at the sound of that title. Although she'd been taught to forget everything she knew, she still preferred the name 'Dr. Strange.'

"Why have you summoned us, Madam?" Wotan continued.

"I have foreseen that a great _crisis_ is upon us, Master Mordo…" Wise said, gravely. "I'm _sure_ you remember your old friend, Felix Kaecillius?"

Wotan's face fell. The last time he heard that name, half of the monastery had been destroyed and his best friend was lost. Felix Kaecillius was recruited into the order shortly after his family died. But over time, he grew to resent Madam Wise, and turned against her. Forming his own cult, Felix stole a forbidden manuscript about Trigammu's dimension and swore to return his new Maser to his former glory.

"But, Felix has not been seen _nor_ heard of in almost _ten years_ , Madam Wise!" Wotan was hysterical. "How can you be so certain he is up to something?"

"Last night, I entered into the astral realm, where I was visited by the spirit of Aganabu…" Wise answered calmly. "He has warned that a fallen sorcerer will seek out an object of power, attack the monastery, and bring Trigammu into this world once again."

"But, you can _stop_ him, right?" Zatanna sounded worried.

"I _cannot_." Wise replied, grimly. "When Aganabu defeated Trigammu, he was in his _prime_. I may be the Sorcerer Supreme, but my body has _withered_ with age. Which is why _you_ must stop him."

Zatanna bolted up. "Wait, _what?!_ "

"Master Mordo will gather some of our most trusted allies to aide you in your quest, Madam Strange. You will find Kaecillius, and prevent him from destroying the mystic barrier."

"Uh… _no._ " Zatanna tried to hide her fear. "No, no, no, no, no! I came here to give my lie _purpose_ , again! Not take part in some kind of _suicidal_ _magic war!_ "

"This is what you have been _training for_ , Strange!" Wotan interjected. The greater sorcerer felt angry at Zatanna's outburst, but he did not allow himself to succumb to his fury. He realized that she was only acting out of fear. "If it will _ease_ your mind," he began again, calmly. "you shall act _strictly_ as an _observer_ unless needed." Zatanna sighed, tiredly; she supposed that it was as good an offer as any. "But, Madam Wise, what makes you so certain _we_ can stop Kaecillius?"

"Cuz you blokes are gonna have _me_ watchin' yer _arses_."

Zatanna's nose scrunched up in disgust as the smell of burning incense was replaced by tobacco. Standing in the doorway, there was a tall, African man with blond hair dressed in heavy, black leather. As he flicked his cigarette away, it combusted into a sprinkle of ashes. Wotan smiled broadly as he hugged this man and introduced him to her. He pulled another out of his pocket, holding it gingerly between his fingers. "Either a' you two got a _light?_ "

"That'll _kill_ you, you know." Zatanna deadpanned as Wotan used his magic to light the cigarette.

"Lotta folks've _tried_ , luv. Can't say I'm _worried_." As the man placed the new cigarette in his mouth, Zatanna took notice of his sharpened canines. "Aw, _sorry_ , where're me _manners?_ Name's _Eric Constantine_ , Madam Strange." He said with a suave bow. "But most a' these blighters 'ere call me the _Helldagger_."

"Okay…" Zatanna failed to take her eyes off of the man's teeth. "And, uh… what, uh… what do _you_ do?"

"Well, long story _short_ , me mum got bit by a _fuckin'_ _vampire_ while I was still a _bun_ in 'er _oven_. Born in London, got dragged into some _cult_ what thought I was the _Antichrist_ , learnt _necromancy_ , and somehow wound up workin' fer _this_ lil odd squad." Eric emphasized his distaste by puffing a perfect ring directly at Zatanna's face. She coughed lightly as Helldagger smirked; she could already tell this was a bad idea.

"Sorry I'm late!" A voice cried out from down the hall. A man with a muscular build was flying down the corridor towards the group. He wore a red costume with a yellow eight-pointed star on the chest. His boots and cape were white, a red mask covered up half of his face, leaving his dark hair free to flow in the wind, and two golden armbands wrapped snugly around his wrists.

" _No fucking way!_ " Zatanna's mouth fell open. "Hyperman!"

"WHERE?!" The muscular man whipped his head around; a huge smile plastered on his face.

"Heh, he get's tha' _a lot_." Constantine chuckled as he took another puff. "Zatanna Strange, to you, this is _Cap'n Thunder._ Cap'n Thunder, to _you_ , this is Zatanna Strange."

"Nice to meet you ma'am." Captain Thunder said, politely, as he extended his hand.

" _Doctor._ "Zatanna corrected, but she was slightly surprised at this man's manners. As she shook his hand, she took the liberty of checking out his chiseled features and toned body. "So, what's _your_ story?" She asked, trying to sound flirtatious.

"Well, it's kinda _crazy_ …" Captain Thunder rubbed his chin, fondly going back to how he became a superhero. "When I was a kid, I met this _wizard_ from another planet named Shi'ar. He said that he'd been searching for a spirit who was pure enough to wield the magic lightning. Ever since then, when I say his name while my mega-bands are together, I transform into Captain Thunder!"

"An… _alien wizard_... _?_ " Zatanna deadpanned, skeptically.

"Luv…" Constantine interrupted. "I'm a _vampire/necromancer_ , yer a _sorcerer in training_ , and our _other_ friend who's gonna help us is _bonded to a bloody fallen angel._ Stop questionin' logic. Speakin' a _which_ , Cap'n, did ya wake up Jimmy-boy?"

"Uh, _yeah_ , but…" Thunder rubbed the back of his neck in discomfort. "He's not very _happy_."

"Did he say anythin' to ya?"

" _Yeah_ , but, my uncle says I'm not _supposed_ to say words like that."

"Your uncle says-what are you, _twelve?_ " Zatanna crossed her arms.

The group was interrupted by an angry voice coming from down the grand hallway. A man in a leather jacket muttered to himself as he made his way to the other mystic-wielders. When he got close enough, his hazel and green eyes widened at the sight of the former physician. "You…" He pointed. "You're _Dr. Zatanna Strange._ "

"Yes, I _am!_ " Zatanna's mood brightened at the sound of her title. "Have we met before?" Her smile disappeared as the man's fist made contact with her jaw. Constantine and Wotan held him back as Captain Thunder helped Zatanna back up. "What the _fuck_ was _that_ for?!"

" _You're_ the reason my _dad_ is dead!" He exclaimed as he shook himself free from the men restraining him. "Do you remember _John Blaze?_ The stuntman who got a tumor in 1988?"

"Wait a minute…" Zatanna got a closer look at the man's face, her eidetic memory took her back to one patient she had turned away, and the family he'd be leaving behind. "Y-you're Jimmy Blaze…"

"Yeah, _the_ Jimmy Blaze who lost his only family, because he was short a couple hundred bucks!"

"Th-there was _more_ to it than _that!_ " Zatanna defended herself. "Your father's tumor was at a _very difficult_ position. It would've been nearly _impossible_ to remove it."

"I don't want to hear your _excuses!_ " Blaze turned to Wotan. "Master Mordo, do we _really_ need to bring _this one_ along?"

"She needs to _learn_ , James." Wotan tried to calm his friend down, but Zatanna was having it.

"Y'know what?!" She started. "I _really_ don't need any _bullshit_ from anybody, right now! Especially not from some _daredevil with a grudge!_ I spent _years_ on the streets because of someone else's _recklessness!_ I have busted my _ass_ for five years just to _matter_ again! I have been through _Hell_ to get where I-!"

Blaze cut her off by grabbing her throat and lifting her into the air. His green iris flared, spreading a supernatural flame around his body. His flesh began to rot away, frightening his captive even more. At last, all that was left of Jimmy Blaze was a leather-clad skeleton, cloaked in green flames. _**"You know**_ **nothing** _ **of Hell…"**_ His voice was deep, yet jagged, sending a painful chill down everyone's spines. _**"For over**_ **thirty years** _ **, I have been**_ **starving to death** _ **. But, I cannot**_ **die** _ **. My mouth has gone**_ **dry** _ **, yet I cannot quench it. I cannot feel the**_ **wind** _ **upon my face, the**_ **grass** _ **beneath my feet… nor the**_ **warmth** _ **of a woman's flesh… so, do yourself a**_ **favor** _ **, and don't piss me off."**_

The Demon Rider let go of Zatanna and stomped off, with Wotan close behind. "Well… _that_ happened…" Zatanna was still in shock.

"He'll come _around_." Captain Thunder insisted. "He's not _really_ a bad guy."

" _Yeah_ , he is." Helldagger snorted. "Bugger holds a _grudge_."

They trio soon met up with Wotan and Blaze. The latter of who had reverted back to his human form. "We have no more time to waste." Wotan stated. "Zatanna, do you have your _sling-ring?_ " Strange reached into her pocket and pulled out the magical teleportation ring she was given by one of the monks. "Excellent, in case we get _separated_ , you will come back here."

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"Port Antonio in Jamaica." Her friend answered as he used his sling-ring to open a portal. "Madam Wise told me that the only person who can find Kaecillius is Sister Voodoo."

"Voodoo…" Zatanna sighed. "Sure, _why not?_ " With that, the group made their way through the portal.

Meanwhile, in an unknown location, a man dressed in dark robes carried the Dark Manuscripts to his lair's grand hall. His cultists bowed in respect as he read through the ancient spell book. At last, he closed the book and ordered his zealots to rise. "Soon, my brothers and sisters… our lord and master, Trigammu, will be making his glorious return to this world. And in _gratitude_ for our service, he shall grant us _eternal life_ and _ultimate power!_ " The crowd cheered in excitement at their leader's words. Kaecillius held up a stone carving in his hand, explaining its importance to their plot. "With _this_ key, we shall _destroy_ the only weapon that can defeat our righteous master, and see those who sought to _imprison_ us _brought to their knees! Oh, Mighty Trigammu, you shall rule!_ "

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Trigammu(Dormammu/Trigon)**

 **Aganabu(Agamotto/Nabu)**

 **Zatanna Strange(Doctor Strange/Zatanna Zatara)**

 **Wotan Mordo(Baron Mordo/Wotan)**

 **Madam Wise(Ancient One/Madam Xandu)**

 **Felix Kaecillius(Kaecillius/Felix Faust)**

 **Helldagger aka Eric Constantine(Blade/Constantine)**

 **Demon Rider aka Jimmy Blaze(Ghost Rider/The Spectre)**

 **Captain Thunder(Captain Marvel/Captain Marvel){[(Wow, what are the** _ **odds?**_ **)]}**

 **Sister Voodoo aka Jessica Drumm(Brother Voodoo/Voodoo)**


	47. Mystic Mayhem part 2

**Author's note: the following chapter contains brief nudity and sexual references.**

 **Chapter XVIII: Mystic Mayhem! Part 2**

 **Port Antonio, Jamaica**

The group of magic users appeared on a sandy beach in the middle of the night. Wotan led the group down towards a secluded bungalow. Captain Thunder stared in confusion at the full moon. "Wait, wasn't the sun just _rising_ when we left Tibet? What _happened?_ " The costumed magic-user sounded genuinely confused.

"Okay, _who the fuck_ made _this_ _guy_ a captain?" Zatanna whispered to Helldagger.

"Oh, _wait!_ _Duh!_ We're in a different _time zone!_ " He laughed as he corrected himself.

Zatanna rolled her eyes in annoyance. When they reached the entrance, they found themselves surrounded by jars of strange liquids, assorted animal bones, worn spell-books, and countless melting candles. At last, a dark-skinned woman with dreadlocks poked her head through one of the shelves. "Ah! It has been a long while since the great Madam Wise sent me some _visitors!_ "

"'Ello, Jessica." Constantine smiled at the sight of the woman with a skull painted on her face. His smile grew wider as the petite Jamaican sorcerer stepped out from behind the bookshelf.

"HOLY MOLEY!" Captain Thunder blushed brightly and covered his eyes with both hands. "Ma'am, I don't like to _judge_ people in their own _homes_ , but you are not wearing _any clothes!_ "

"Oh, _sorry_ , child." Voodoo apologized as she reached for a ragged tank-top and a grass skirt. "I wasn't expectin' _company_."

"It _is_ good to see you again, Madam Drumm." Wotan started. "I see you've done a good job, keeping the Sanctum of Voodoo safe ever since your sister's unfortunate passing. How have you-?"

"Mastah Mordo, _please…_ " Jessica interrupted as she was adjusting her skirt. "I don't need my _tarot cards_ to know why you are here. What can _I_ do for _you?_ "

"Very well…" Wotan saw that she was in no mood for false formalities. "We are looking for Kaecillius." The name had the same effect on Drumm as it did on Wotan. "He _stole_ something from the monastery, and we have reason to believe that he is using it to search for something that will allow him to bring Trigammu into this world. Can you help us find him? Or, find out _what_ he is searching for?"

"Ah, to do _that_ , I shall need a _personal item_ of his…" Drumm held out her palm, expecting Wotan to give her something immediately. Much to Zatanna's surprise, Wotan handed her a necklace with several charms on it. As Drumm went to prepare for the ritual, the sorcerer in training made her way to her friend.

"At one point during our training, Felix and I were… _close_." Wotan explained, sadly. "He gave me that necklace before he left."

Zatanna wanted to say something that would comfort him, but she found herself at a loss for words. Luckily, it didn't take long for Drumm to gather what she needed. Drawing an arcane pattern on the floor with chalk, she moved the others into a certain place based on their tarot cards. Zatanna was "the Magician," Wotan was "Judgment," Blaze was "the Hermit," Constantine was "the Moon," Captain Thunder was "the Fool," and, at last, Drumm stood in the center as "the High Priestess."

"I feel like I've been _insulted_." Captain Thunder muttered as he inspected his card.

"Now, _hold hands_ as the ritual _begins_ …" Sister Voodoo placed the necklace on the ground, rattled a few bones in her hands, scattered them at her feet, and recited her spell in her native tongue. A small, indigo flame burst out from the floor. "Now, _Mistah Blaze!_ " James, reluctantly, summoned the Demon Rider, who proceeded to breathe its green hellfire into the purple flame. The smoke twirled around Voodoo's feet, snaking its way up her body and into her nostrils. The Jamaican sorcerer's eyes snapped open, glowing brightly, as if something had possessed her.

 _("The powers of Voodoo whisper to me!_

 _Showing me a sight I need to see!_

 _To keep an enemy from committing a crime!_

 _Return to the place where there is no time!")_

The flame extinguished, and Drumm collapsed. Thunder and Constantine caught her just before she hit the ground, helping her regain her footing. " _Easy there,_ luv."

"Madam Drumm, did you find what we need?" Wotan didn't mean to sound rude, but everyone understood the urgency of their mission.

"I am _sorry_ , Mastah Mordo…" Drumm grabbed her walking staff to help keep balanced. "The ritual allowed me to reach into Kaecillius' mind for a _brief moment_ , but I was discovered before I could learn what it is he wants."

 _ **"Then this has been a complete waste of time!"**_ Demon Rider screamed in frustration.

"As _usual_ , Jimmy Blaze, you let your _temper_ get the _best_ of you…" Drumm's throaty chuckle calmed the possessed stuntman. "Just because I do not have _exactly_ what you _want_ , it does not mean I have _nothing_ to _offer_."

"What do you mean?" Captain Thunder scratched his head in confusion.

"Look, luv…" Constantine stepped in. "In case ya haven't noticed, we're in a bit of a _rush_. So, could ya please tell us somethin' in a way we'd _understand it_."

"This… _thing_ … that Kaecillius is searching for…" Voodoo began to elaborate. "I don't know _what_ it is… but I _do_ know _where_ it is…"

"Where?" Wotan felt a sense of hope. If they could get to whatever Felix wanted first, it might stop his plan altogether.

" _That_ is the _tricky part_ , Wotan…" Jessica knelt down, collecting the charred remains of her ceremonial bones. "What he seeks _must_ be an object of power _so immense_ , that our first Sorcerer Supreme saw fit to hide it away in his _personal sanctum_."

"No _bloody_ way…" Constantine gasped. "Ya don't mean-"

"I _do_."

"What?" Zatanna's patience was reaching its end. "Will _somebody_ , please tell me what we're talking about?"

"The _Vanishing Zone_ , woman!" Jessica revealed. "You must have studied _that_ when you came to Madam Wise, yes?"

"Yeah…" Zatanna shrugged. "Aganabu's hide-away. He created it shortly after defeating Trigammu. Isn't it some kind of _pocket dimension_ that exists between the fabric of time?"

"So, it's like _Limbo?_ " Captain Thunder tried to understand.

" _No,_ child… _Limbo_ is a _space between spaces_. The _Vanishing Zone_ is a _time between times_."

"What she _means_ is; the Vanishing Zone is a _temporal plane_ outside of this reality. Aganabu designed it so that time doesn't move there the same way it does in _this world_."

"Alright, then, what're we _waiting_ for?" Zatanna snapped her fingers, making her own spell-book appear. But just as her mouth opened to recite the incantation, she was tackled to the ground by Blaze and Wotan.

 _ **"Are you o**_ ut of your mind?!" Blaze reverted back to his human form.

"What?! I copied the spell that gets us _inside_ the Zone from its _original scroll!_ "

"Did you read the part about the hazardous _side-effects_ that come with trying to go in without channeling the spell through a _key?!_ " Wotan scolded. "Do you want to spend the rest of your life trapped in a _temporal loop?!_ Or, worse yet, risk _erasing yourself from existence?!_ "

Zatanna's face gave a neutral expression as she used her sling-ring to open a portal to the monastery's library. She pulled the scroll out and read it thoroughly. "Oh…" She replied. "Well, if it's _that serious_ , why doesn't the warning come _before_ the spell?"

"Dammit!" Blaze slammed his fist into the wall. " _That's_ gotta be what Kaecillius stole! Now we'll _never_ catch him!"

" _Again_ , you jump to conclusions, Mistah Blaze." Drumm tapped her staff on the ground, earning everyone's attention. "He stole _a_ key, not _the_ key. Our old friend, Daniel Yamashiro, possesses the means to getting our hands on another key to the Vanishing Zone."

"Daniel won't be too _happy_ about this…" Blaze thought, out loud.

"Nevertheless, we need to get to the Sanctum of Kotodama in Nagasaki."

"' _We?'_ " Constantine questioned.

" _Yes_. I'm coming _with you_." Drumm stumbled, letting Helldagger catch her again.

" _No way_ , Jessica. I may be a _vampire bastard_ , but I ain't gonna let ya risk yer _life_. Yer in _no condition_ to come with us." Helldagger crossed his arms for emphasis. But Sister Voodoo let one of the straps to her ragged shirt fall past her shoulder as she pressed her breasts against him.

"Now, _Mistah Constantine…_ " She smiled, seductively. "Don't tell me you didn't… _enjoy_ that night we shared in Cancun…"

Helldagger chuckled. " _Fair enough_." As the group exited the bungalow, Captain Thunder tapped Sister Voodoo's shoulder.

"Hey, uh, can you use those cards to predict the future?"

"I _can_."

"Well, there's this _girl_ I really like, and we've only met each other _once_ at a _mall_ , but we've been _talking_ to each other a lot on the phone. I'd just like to know if it's _going anywhere_."

"Keep a hold of your _card_ and I'll tell you _later_." With that, Thunder tucked the tarot card into his sash and followed the rest of his allies.

* * *

 **The Sanctum of Kotodama, Nagasaki, Japan**

Zatanna was expecting an elderly man with a long beard in robes to be the one to greet them. Instead, a black woman with silver plating on her skin and a voluminous afro opened the door of the great building. Zatanna deduced that sixty-five percent of her body must have been composed of cybernetic prosthetics, based on what her kimono revealed. "Hey, _hey!_ If it ain't Mordo an' the _lovable losers!_ What brings _your_ sexy asses this way?"

"… _nice_ to see you, too, Mercedes…" Wotan replied, uncomfortably. "Is Daniel here?"

"Yeah, baby, my man's just _upstairs_." The woman cupped one hand over her mouth. "Danny! We got _company!_ "

"Okay! I'll be down in a _minute!_ " A voice called back.

"You look _really awesome_ , Mrs. Stone!" Captain Thunder exclaimed. "Your robot parts look _extra shiny!_ "

"Aw, _thanks_ , sweetie!" Mercedes blushed at her friend's comment. "I _try_."

"I better not catch you trying to _steal_ my wife, Captain." All eyes landed on a Japanese man in black robes. His chest showed an impressive tattoo of a golden dragon, a katana rested on his hip, and a warm smile plastered over his face. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he bowed in respect to his visitors. "I am most _flattered_ that you have come to visit my wife and I, Master Mordo. Would anyone like some tea?"

"I hate to sound _blunt_ , Master Yamashiro…" Wotan answered. "But there has been an incident involving Felix Kaecillius."

Daniel sighed, pouring two cups of tea and handing one cup to Mercedes. His smile never left his face. "Same old Wotan… how can I help you?"

"Your katana-the Soultaker-has the power to _trap_ the souls of those who _die_ by its iron…"

"Yes, _I know_ …" Daniel answered as he sipped his tea. "What of it?"

"Kaecillius has stolen a key to the Vanishing Zone… we need you to use the katana… and bring back _Takeo Davos_ …"

In that moment, Daniel's smile disappeared. Mercedes looked in terror as her husband shakily placed his cup on a table, leaving his hand free to grip the hilt of his sword. He paced back and forth in silence, trying to keep himself calm. At last, he stopped right in front of a tattered painting of a man in samurai armor. Now, his mouth twisted into a foul snarl. "The _only reason_ … I would _ever_ want _Takeo Davos_ returned from the _land of the dead_ … is so I could send him back _myself!_ "

In the blink of an eye, Daniel unsheathed his blade and sliced the painting clean in half. "Do you even _know_ what you just _asked?!_ " The formerly charismatic samurai growled. "What use could that _dishonorable murderer_ possible have for your quest?!"

Now, Mordo was visibly growing angry, as well. Zatanna noticed this and quickly intervened. "Master Yamashiro, _please!_ " She spoke, respectfully. "Takeo Davos knows where to find another key to the Vanishing Zone. If we don't beat Kaecillius there and stop him from getting whatever he's looking for, innocent people are going to _die_ … _please…_ "

Daniel's breathing regained a steady rhythm. He glanced back at Mercedes, silently asking for her opinion. She nodded her head, begging him to comply. The samurai sighed in defeat and sat down, holding the katana in his palms. _("I call upon the Soultaker sword… use my chi to return one soul from its prison… so that I may be granted a boon… bring me the soul… of Takeo Davos…")_

Daniel's fist glowed with a bright yellow energy that passed into the sword. Zatanna and Thunder gasped softly as an eerie mist rose up from the blade and formed the image of a man.

 _("Well, well, well…")_ The spirit smiled wickedly. _("If it isn't young Daniel… it's been a long time, boy…")_

("The power of the Soultaker _compels_ _you_ to grant me a boon, Davos…") Daniel did his best to keep calm. ("You know where to find a key to the Vanishing Zone… tell me where to find it… _now_.")

Zatanna couldn't understand what either of the men were saying, but she hoped that everything was going according to plan. The spirit obeyed his command and whispered the location of the key into the samurai's ear. At last, Daniel rose from the ground, ready to sheath his sword.

 _("You do realize you can't win…")_ The spirit goaded. _("I should actually_ thank you _, Daniel… because of your grandfather's student,_ I _am safe in this sword…_ you _, on the other hand, will suffer as you watch Trigammu kill your friends and that_ gaijin whore _you call a wife…")_

("Thanks, dad…") Daniel muttered. ("We should have these talks _more often_.") As soon as the blade was back in its scabbard, the spirit vanished. Daniel told them where the key was, and offered his assistance. He and Mercedes would go with Zatanna and Captain Thunder while the others stayed to watch the Sanctum. And thus, the group set off for Portland, Oregon.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Jessica Drumm aka Sister Voodoo(Brother Voodoo/Voodoo)**

 **Daniel Yamashiro aka Iron Blade(Iron Fist/Katana)**

 **Mercedes Stone aka Cyber-girl(Misty Knight/Cyborg)**

 **Takeo Davos(Steel Serpent/Takeo Yamashiro)**

 **The Vanishing Zone(Negative Zone/Vanishing Point)**


	48. Mystic Mayhem part 3

**Chapter XVIII: Mystic Mayhem! Part 3**

 **Nagasaki, Japan. Two Hours Ago…**

"Davos told me the only other key to the Vanishing Zone fell into the hands of Thunder Woman's enemy. When she was defeated, Thunder Woman confiscated it and handed it over to S.H.I.E.L.D." Iron Blade explained what his sword's prisoner told him. "According to Davos, the scientists were unable to identify what it was, so they stored it away in a low-security warehouse in Portland, Oregon."

"Alright then…" Mercedes continued as she stepped out from her changing room. She was now wearing blue jeans and a breathable sports bra. "Danny and I will take a few of you guys to the warehouse, I'll hack into the security system, locate the key, and make it back here in time to stop Kaecillius from bringing Trigammu to _fuck with Earth_."

"Um, may I make a _suggestion?_ " Captain Thunder raised his hand skittishly.

"Go ahead, baby." Mercedes smiled at her friend's cute gesture.

"I think that our _first move_ should be contacting the _Justice Legion_." When the last two words dropped, everyone groaned in annoyance at the Captain's naivety. "What?! We call the Justice Legion-"

"And tell them _what?_ " Zatanna interrupted. "'Hi, we're a group of _magical superheroes_ trying to save the world. Can we borrow something from your financer's warehouse? We _promise_ we'll bring it back.'"

Captain Thunder frowned at her sarcastic comment. He, obviously, knew they wouldn't believe them, but he liked the idea of doing the right thing better than stealing. "Well, then, we'll _make_ them believe us! We'll bring them back to the monastery and-"

"Captain Thunder…" Wotan interrupted, softly. "I understand your _concerns_ , but it will take too much time, and time is not something we _have_." Thunder didn't argue any further; he knew they were right. "Now, Daniel, Mercedes, Zatanna, and Thunder will go to the warehouse and retrieve the key. James, Eric, Jessica, and I will go back to the monastery and await your return."

Zatanna focused on her magic into the sling-ring and the magical quartet was off. They landed in a secluded forest just two miles away from the warehouse's location. While Zatanna, Iron Blade, and Mercedes planned a strategy, Captain Thunder decided to go ahead and see where they were going. The discomfort this mission had placed on his shoulders was immediately replaced by fear as he saw the gilded logo on the building's lawn.

"MR. YAMASHIRO!" He hollered, coaxing the group to run towards him.

"Shut up!" Zatanna snapped. "Are you trying to attract the whole _state?!_ "

"What's _wrong_ , Captain?" Daniel questioned before Thunder impulsively lifted him up by the scruff of his neck.

"Didn't you say this was a low-security warehouse?!" Thunder pointed to the giant 'JLA' he had spotted. "It's _not!_ "

"You _son of a bitch!_ " Zatanna's jaw dropped to the ground.

The mission was an undoubted failure, now. There was no way that the four of them would be able to get the key without running into any of the Avengers. But just as they were trying to come up with another plan, the hangar door of the building opened up. *Hyperman and Emerald Man flew into the air, with Thunder Woman, carrying Gargoyle, close behind them. Once the Flag sped out of the building and followed his companions, the four magic-wielders stared in disbelief.

"Well, _that_ was convenient." Zatanna said, plainly. Despite this sudden good luck, the group wasn't going to take any chances with the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s security. Zatanna cast an invisibility spell over them, and they made their approach. Mercedes extended her arm towards the control panel to the door and hacked into the mainframe. Zatanna cast another spell that allowed them to communicate telepathically, and she and Daniel made their way inside. Meanwhile, Thunder opted to stay behind and guard Mercedes.

Then, it happened.

A woman in a colorful costume dashed out the door, holding herself in her arms, tears running down her cheeks. Shortly afterwards, a man with metallic wings attached to his arms followed her out. "Sharon, please, _calm down_." He soothed. "Everything will be _alright_."

"You don't _know that_ , Sam…" Sharon whimpered. "Those kids… they must feel so… I mean, they _couldn't even_ … _damn it!_ They're just _kids_ , Sam!"

"They'll get 'em _back_ , Sharon…" Sam tried again. But then, Sharon wiped her tears away with a confused look on her face.

"Did you _hear_ something?" She sniffed as she put her mask back on. Captain Thunder's breath hitched; he hadn't meant to step on the stick, but he may have given his position away. Zatanna and Daniel telepathically ordered him to remain quiet as they saw the new Avengers looking around the area. They didn't realize that the goggles in their masks had special lenses that had infra-red vision.

" _It's okay…"_ Thunder thought. _"I don't think they can see me."_

"We can _see_ you." The Agents said, almost in perfect unison.

" _They can see me."_ Thunder repeated. The spell wore off, and he stood there, in full costume, before the disgruntled Avengers. He smiled and waved, sheepishly. "Hi, I'm Captain Thunder."

" _Did he just say 'hi, I'm Captain Thunder'?"_ Zatanna groaned into the mind-link.

" _Yes, he did…"_ Daniel confirmed.

"Okay, uh… _first of all;_ I am a _huge_ fan of you guys." Thunder went on, nervously. "My uncle says Thunder Woman saved his life during Vietnam, and, uh, that's what, uh, inspired me to take the name. Heh heh! _Anyway_ , uh, I know this looks _bad_ , but me and my friends are just gonna _borrow_ something from you guys so we can save the world…" The two agents gave him skeptical looks. "We promise we'll bring it back?" He tried.

"This is Agent West and Agent Irons; possible hostiles have entered the base." Hornet spoke into her earpiece.

"Preparing to engage." Steel Falcon added.

As the two West Coast Leaguers attacked, Thunder simply dodged their blows. "Wait!" He blocked Falcon's hammer. "If!" Ducked away from Hornet's sting-blast. "You'd just!" Deflected another blast. "Let!" Knocked the sledgehammer away. "Me!" Flew into the air to give him space. " _Explain!_ "

The heroes chased each other around in the sky, far away from the new headquarters. Zatanna and Daniel reached the door to a secluded vault; he'd been using the Soultaker sword to hone in on the key's location. Zatanna struggled to remember the spell that would allow them to get into the vault, but Daniel had other ideas. Channeling his chi into his fist, and then into the sword, he opened the door in a single swipe.

They grabbed the key and met back with Mercedes. Captain Thunder was still being chased through the air. Zatanna ordered him to meet them back at the monastery just as they went through the sling-ring's portal. Thinking fast, Thunder grabbed one of Steel Falcon's wings.

"I'm really _sorry_ about this…" He apologized as he tore the wing off with ease. "You seem like a nice guy."

"SAM!" Hornet shrieked and dived down to catch her friend. She gradually returned to her normal size when she caught his wrist, slowing his descent until they were both safely on the ground. When they looked up, the intruder was nowhere to be seen.

"Uh… were not gonna tell _Steve_ about this, right?" Sam asked.

"Nope."

* * *

Once Zatanna and the others returned, Daniel and Mercedes went back to the Sanctum of Kotodama, leaving the others to complete their quest. Madam Wise, herself, channeled her magic into the ancient tool; opening a wide portal into the Vanishing Zone. Wotan, Zatanna, Captain Thunder, Helldagger, Demon Rider, and Sister Voodoo made their way through the inter-dimensional gateway.

Zatanna's eyes went wide at the sight of the vivid colors, swirling about the vortex. Additionally, an unorthodox aroma filled the air as they walked further through the portal; a mixture of sulfur and cotton candy. An eerie wailing noise filled her ears; quietly at first, then gradually getting louder. Her mind felt as if it were being warped out of shape from the sensory intake.

At last, they reached the Vanishing Zone, where the silence was nearly deafening. It appeared to be an exact replica of the interior of the other sanctums. Multiple magic relics littered the shelves and floors. Everyone scattered, looking for either Kaecillius and his followers, or the object the sought out.

"What's this?" Thunder picked up a golden helmet with two eye-slits and a small fin.**

"It's _nothing_. Put it down." Blaze ordered.

Zatanna snapped her fingers, creating a flicker of light to form at the center of her palm. She found a staircase, and made her way to the second level. Looking over the shelves, she noticed that there didn't seem to be any unique scrolls or important texts that would've piqued a thief's interest. So, instead, she turned to the relics. Amulets, mystic weapons, and sacred clothing were all on display. One thing that made her smile was a top hat floating around its case. She opened the case, gingerly admiring its fabric and stitching as it reminded her of the one her father used to wear.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, an orange light illuminated a small portion of the room. Subconsciously putting the hat on her head, she found the source of the light in a metal pillar in the shape of a fist. When she rubbed her palm over the slick metal, a secret compartment opened up, startling her. She found a small scroll inside, and read its contents.

" _These spells are written_ backwards _..."_ She thought to herself. Luckily, she was proficient at reverse-script. _"Step one; open the Hand of Aganabu…"_ She placed the scroll on a nearby rack so she could read it. She followed the scrolls instructions carefully, imitating every gesture until the hand slowly opened up to reveal its treasure: a ring.

She slid the ring onto her finger and continued to read the scroll. _"The Ring of Aganabu. Said to have been the very weapon that defeated Trigammu. Only to be wielded by one who can change their perspective of time…"_

"That's _gotta_ be it." Zatanna nearly had a heart attack as she jumped into the air. Constantine had snuck up on her, and spotted her new accessory. It didn't take long for the others to find them. "That's what those bleedin' zealots want in this place."

"Speaking of which…" Captain Thunder looked around. "Why aren't they here, yet?"

Everyone looked at each other. He did have a point; Kaecillius and his followers should have had plenty of time to get into the Vanishing Zone with the other key. So, where were they?

"They've _tricked_ us…" Wotan gasped. "While we've been wasting time running around the world, Kaecillius has been targeting the one thing that can protect the Earth from Trigammu!"

"THE MONASTERY!" Everyone exclaimed. The group quickly made their way downstairs and back to the portal, only to find that the mystic temple was overrun with evil sorcerers. As the others jumped into the battle, Mordo spotted Kaecillius making his way to the private study.

Captain Thunder was charged with magic lightning as he struck the murderous zealots, holding back just enough to prevent them from dying. Despite what he'd seen them doing to the other sorcerers, he couldn't bring himself to take their lives. Helldagger, on the other hand, had no such compunction. At a fantastic speed, the half-vampire sliced through the attackers with his enchanted knives, until he was stopped by a sharp object piercing his chest.

"A stake to the _heart?_ " He deadpanned as he yanked it out. "Ya _really_ believed that worked?" The zealot backed away, fearfully, as Constantine smiled. " _This_ is true, though…" He snarled and sank his canines into his foe's neck, draining him of his blood.

" _ **Sinners! Heathens! Blasphemers! You will**_ **all** _ **be judged in the eyes of God!"**_ Safe to say, Demon Rider was making short work of his enemies. Green, smokeless flames billowed everywhere as the demonic warrior whipped his chain around in a righteous fury.

Wotan found the fallen sorcerer in Madam Wise's private library, holding a knife to the Sorcerer Supreme's neck. The men locked eyes. Once, they had been the best of friends, and from that friendship, they grew to be lovers. But Kaecillius wasn't satisfied with what Wise was letting happen to the world around them. And so, they're friendship, and their love, was seemingly destroyed.

"Felix… _please_ , don't do this…" Mordo pleaded. "It's not too late to _stop this_ _madness_."

"Oh, Wotan…" Kaecillius sounded disappointed. "If _only_ you could understand Trigammu's power as _I_ do… let me _show_ you!" Kaecillius threw the elderly woman to the ground and blasted his old friend with a strange spell. Wotan fell to his knees, his eyes glowing with dark energy, showing him something beyond explanation.

"Oh, _god_ …" He shuddered. "I understand… I _finally_ understand…"

"You _see?_ " Kaecillius smiled, wickedly. "Together, we can bring Trigammu to Earth and finally-" Kaecillius was interrupted by a powerful hex-bolt through the chest, killing him instantly.

"Which is why you have to die… _beloved_." Mordo sighed.

Meanwhile, Zatanna and Drumm stood back-to-back, protecting the wounded sorcerers from the rogues. They held their own for a moment, but the zealots had numbers on their side. Before the former physician's eyes, Blaze's skull was shattered to pieces. Then, Captain Thunder was impaled by multiple hex-spears as Constantine found himself overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

At last, the walls of the monastery came crumbling down, and a portal to the Dark Dimension opened up. The zealots cheered in triumph, soon their cruel master would come to bring them purpose. "At last!" One shouted. "Our lord and master, Trigammu, has arrived! _This_ is our time!"

" _Time…"_ Zatanna thought, glancing down at the ring on her finger. _"Only to be wielded by one who can change their perspective of time…"_ Her face lit up as the realization sank in. She twirled her other hand around the ring, until the orange energy shaped into a watch. "emiT esreveR!"*** She shouted.

Suddenly, everyone, save Zatanna, froze in place. She waved her hands around her, making time go backwards, and repairing the damage done to the monastery. This act even brought those who had been killed back to life. The spears removed themselves from Captain Thunder, and the costumed hero was healed. The same happened to Demon Rider, whose skull immediately reassembled itself.

Then, Zatanna turned her attention to the Dark Dimension portal. _"I've gotta get up there…"_ She thought. As if responding to her command, the top hat she wore lifted her up into the air towards the portal. The Dark Dimension was cold and lifeless, giving her a very uneasy feeling. She landed on a floating boulder and repeated her previous spell, just as she finished the spell, she noticed someone was watching her.

A giant being composed of dark lights gazed down at the sorcerer in training. Zatanna swallowed hard and put on a brave face. "Trigammu… I've come to bargain."

"YOU'VE COME TO _DIE_ … YOUR WORLD, LIKE _ALL_ WORLDS, IS NOW MINE…" The malevolent being opened its mouth and sent a beam of concentrated energy directly at Zatanna, vaporizing her, instantly. But just as Trigammu made his way to the portal, time started to go backwards until Zatanna repeated her last spell.

"Trigammu… I've come to bargain."

"YOU'VE COME TO _DIE_ … YOUR WORLD, LIKE _ALL_ WO – WAIT… WHAT IS THIS? AN ILLUSION?"

"No, this is _real_." Zatanna corrected.

"GOOD…" Trigammu vaporized the sorcerer again, only to trigger another time reversal.

"Trigammu… I've come to _bargain_." Zatanna was now beaming with pride.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

"Just as you were trying to invade with power from _your_ universe, I brought a little power from _mine_." Zatanna lifted her hand to show the ring as she elaborated. " _This_ is _time_. _Endless… looped… time…_ This is how things are now; _you and me_ , trapped in this moment, _forever_."

"YOU… _DARE?!_ " Trigammu lifted his fist and brought it down on Zatanna. He tried everything he could to kill her, but nothing kept the ring from reversing time.

"Trigammu…" Zatanna started for the twentieth time. "I've come to _bargain_." The ancient being roared in anger, realizing he was beaten.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"

"Take your zealots, leave Earth, and let me repair the monastery to restore the mystic barrier…" Zatanna's hat lifted her into the air so she could look her enemy in the eye. "Do it, and I'll _break_ the loop."

* * *

Trigammu upheld his end of the bargain, preferring to be free from the temporal prison. And soon, Zatanna used the power in her ring to restore the monastery and return time to normal. Just as she was about to go meet with Madam Wise, she was stopped by Blaze and Constantine.

"Well, luv… I guess this is _farewell_." Helldagger shook her hand. "Madam Wise told Jimmy-boy how to get his soul back, and asked me ta go with 'im. But he wanted ta say somethin' ta ya, first." He elbowed the possessed stuntman, encouraging him on.

Blaze sighed deeply and spoke. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you _earlier_ , you _saved my life_ , and you're a _great_ sorcerer.

Zatanna smiled gratefully and bid her friends goodbye. After they left, she saw Captain Thunder speaking with Sister Voodoo.

"So, do you think I might have a _chance_ with this girl?" He asked sheepishly.

"Child, do you know _why_ the Fool is the most _powerful card_ in the Tarot?" She asked as she held up his card. "Not because the person who _draws it_ is a _fool_ … he's a _fool_ because he is a _clean slate_ … and therefore, has the power to become, _anything_ he chooses. He makes his _own_ destiny… because he _can_."

" _Thank you_ , Mrs. Drumm." Captain Thunder hugged her tightly, waved goodbye to Zatanna, and flew home to Fawcett City.

"Sister Voodoo, I'm going to need your help." She took the ring off of her finger. "We need to go _back_ to the Vanishing Zone and return this."

"A _wise choice_ …" Drumm stated. "As _impressive_ as your victory over Trigammu was, you may need a few more years of practice before carrying an Infinity Ring around with you."

"A _what?_ "

"You _still_ have much to learn." Drumm chuckled as they went back to Jamaica.

A few hours later, Captain Thunder returned to Fawcett City and headed for a building named Dudley Arms. He flew through the top floor's window, where he was greeted by a man watching TV.

"So, champ, how was your day?"

"Aw man, it was _so cool!_ I joined this _magic version_ of the Justice Legion, and we fought with two people in the _real_ Justice Legion, and then this one lady fought a monster from another dimension, and then-!"

"Okay, okay, I'm glad you had fun, but it's _way_ past your bedtime. All your brothers and sisters are asleep, and _you_ should be, _too_. So, brush your teeth and head off to bed."

"Yes, sir…" Thunder laughed as he did what he was told.

"… _ahem_." The man cleared his throat. "Aren't you _forgetting_ something?"

"Nah, I was just checking' to see if you were paying attention…" He held his armbands together over his head and looked up to the ceiling. "SH'ZAM!" A bolt of lightning appeared out of nowhere and transformed Captain Thunder into the mortal form of the young Billy Lawson. "Goodnight, Uncle Dudley…"

"Goodnight, Billy." Dudley replied, happily.

* * *

 **Epilogue:**

"Madam Wise?" Wotan knocked on his teacher's doorway.

"Come in, Master Mordo…" the Sorcerer Supreme placed her cup of tea on the table as she stood up. "I understand _you_ were the one who defeated Kaecillius. I can't _imagine_ how hard that must have been for you… considering your _past_ with him."

"On the _contrary_ …" Mordo spoke evenly. "It was _easy_ to dispose of him, once his spell _opened my eyes_ …" Madam Wise grew worried at the sound of her student's voice. Something about his tone made her sense that something was wrong. "You see, his spell didn't _turn me_ over to his side, rather, it accidentally sent my consciousness into the astral plane where I met someone who is much… _much more powerful_ than Trigammu. He showed me that our magic… that is, the _collective magic_ of earth's sorcerers, while helping _protect_ the world from mystic threats, can also act as a _beacon_ for more _dangerous ones_."

Before Madam Wise could react, one of Mordo's hex-bolts grazed her side, causing her to bleed out. The Sorcerer Supreme stumbled to the doorway, hoping to call out to another student for help. But much to her horror, all of the other student's had been slaughtered.

"You see, Madam… Strange wasn't the _only one_ who made a bargain today…" Mordo picked up one of the keys to the Vanishing Zone and knelt down next to his former teacher. "Don't worry, the monastery will remain intact… but the rest of you will have to _die_."

"W-why, Mordo?" Wise choked. "Why are you _doing_ this?"

"Because I finally see what is _truly wrong_ with this world… _too many sorcerers._ "

 **To Be Continued!**

 ***Yes, this Chapter takes place** _ **at the same time**_ **as Masters of Doom!**

 ****That was the Helmet of Fate, my dear Captain!**

 *****Fans of Zatanna know that her spells are always spoken in reverse!**


	49. Flag's Birthday

**Chapter XIX: The Flag's Birthday! An Interlude**

 **Brooklyn, New York, NY. July 4, 1924.**

 _"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Steven! Happy birthday to you!"_ Joseph and Nora Allen sang happily to their six year old boy as they presented him with a cupcake. Because of their foreign backgrounds, the Allens were having a hard time trying to get by in America, but that never stopped them from celebrating their only son's birthday. When they finished dinner, Steve's father knelt down beside him, holding a box wrapped in old newspaper.

"Now, Steven… I'm _sorry_ that your mother and I can't give you what you deserve, but I hope you understand that we still love you."

"I know, daddy." Steve smiled as he unwrapped his present. It was a baseball with a popular player's signature. The boy beamed happily as he hugged his parents. "Can we go see the fireworks tonight, mommy?"

"Of _course_ we can, Steven…"

 **Manhattan, New York, NY. July 4, 2016.**

Two weeks had passed since the incident at the Raft. The Flag had been officially sworn in as the field leader of the Justice Legion of Avengers, and was taking to the job very well. In time, he'd gotten to know the individual members and call them his friends.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to make a _toast_." Tony Jordan raised his glass, encouraging the other Avengers to follow suit. "To Captain Steve Allen, the new leader of the _Justice Legion!_ "

"Happy birthday, buddy!" Kent cheered.

 _"Oh, for he's a jolly good fellow! For he's a jolly good fellow! For he's a jolly good fellow! And nobody can deny!"_ They four superheroes sang in unison to the blushing soldier.

"Oh, and _by the way_ …" Tony spoke to him, privately, while the others enjoyed themselves. "I understand you've recently become _infatuated_ with that _sexy agent_ in the white jumpsuit. It was _Sharon_ , right?"

"That's right."

"I've never been with a girl who was sixty years younger than me, what's _that_ like?" Steve laughed softly at his friend's joke. "But seriously, what _was_ dating like in the 1940's?"

" _Dating?_ " Steve cocked a curious eyebrow. "You mean _courting?_ "

"What? No, I – okay, we're gonna _skip ahead_ in your _current events_ studies." Tony wrapped one arm around the speedster's shoulders. "In the 1960's there was this big social movement called the _sexual revolution_ that gave women the right to have sex for _pleasure_. Then about a _decade later_ they earned the right to choose whether or not they wanted to have sex with their husbands, and _then_ they earned the right to have the same jobs as _men_. So, nowadays, relationships don't _have_ to be about _getting married_. They can just be, _y'know_ … _casual_."

" _Casual_ …" Steve pondered out loud as he wrapped his mind around Jordan's lesson. "Sure, I can be casual."

"Good." Tony patted him on the back. "Also, I wanted to give you _this_." The billionaire handed a black and white photo taken in 1942.

"Howard Jordan…" Steve smiled.

"He used to tell me stories about you when I was a kid…" Tony explained. "He _idolized_ you. And so do _I_."

"Thanks, Tony. I appreciate this."

"No problem, Cap." Tony said, and the two friends returned to the festivities.

* * *

 **Brooklyn, New York, NY. July 4, 2017.**

Special Agent Sharon West-Allen woke up to the noise of her bedside alarm clock with a grumble. A sharp chill from the air conditioning reminded her that she wasn't wearing any clothes. Just then, she remembered the reward she'd given her husband the previous night for saving the kids. When her eyes finally fell upon the calendar on her nightstand, a flirtatious smile spread across her lips. " _Good morning_ , Captain Allen~."

She turned herself over to find that she was the bed's only occupant. "Steve?" A pleasing aroma tickled her nose, and she made her way off of the soft mattress. She was still tying her robe when she reached the kitchen. There was the Flag, frying bacon and sausage patties while flipping pancakes. "What's all this?" Sharon's smile grew wider.

" _Breakfast!_ " Steve replied, enthusiastically. "I thought you might still be a little _shaken up_ about how the kids were doing. I know they're not quite as good as _Sam's_ but I picked up a few things in my childhood."

Sharon took a piece of bacon and munched on it happily. "Oh, _God_ , Steve, this is _delicious!_ " An excellent idea popped into her head, and she made her way over to Steve's collection of vintage records. After finding what she was looking for, she set it on the antique player, letting the melodies fill the air as she danced, gracefully, over to Steve. Together, they spun and circled the living room, happily, as Sharon sang along to the music.

 _"Moon River, wider than a mile, I'm crossing you in style, someday!_

 _Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker, wherever you're going, I'm going your way!_

 _Two drifters, off to see the world, there's such a lot of world to see!_

 _We're after the same rainbows end, waitin', round the bend, my huckleberry friend!_

 _Moon River… and me…"_

Steve brought her into a deep kiss when the song ended. Sharon put her hand over her mouth to stifle laughter. "What?" Steve looked confused.

"I can't believe I'm married to a _ninety-nine year-old_." She chuckled before kissing him again. "Happy birthday, Steve." But not long after, her nose picked up a less-than pleasant smell. "Is something _burning?_ "

"My _cinnamon rolls!_ " Steve gasped and rushed to the oven.

After breakfast, the couple went for a walk in the park before meeting up with Diana and John for lunch. Diana had fun chatting with Sharon about their service in combat while Steve and John swapped war stories. After lunch, the group continued on to the park where a soft cry drew Diana's attention. "A _baby!_ " She cheered happily and ran towards the woman holding the infant.

"Diana, wait, no-! Ugh, _every damn time!_ " John groaned and chased after his girlfriend. Sharon couldn't help but smile at how Diana gushed over the infant. She had seen that woman beat giant monsters from space to death with a hammer without even the slightest glimpse of fear, and now she was practically begging a random woman on the street to let her hold her child.

"We have some _interesting_ friends." Steve chuckled to her.

"Yes we do…" She replied. She looked at the time-displaced soldier with admiration. Steve had proven to care greatly for children, given how well he'd treated Bart and all but raised Wally. For a moment, she wondered if they could have children of their own one day.

Later that night, the couple was preparing themselves for bed. Steve opened a drawer in his dresser, holding an old baseball in his hand. "What's that?" Sharon massaged his shoulders as she pressed herself against his back. He handed the ball to her, and her eyes widened in disbelief at the signature on the old stitching.

" _Babe Ruth"_

"My dad got that for me on my sixth birthday." Steve explained. "It means a lot to me."

"I'll _bet_." Sharon marveled. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent handed the ball back to him and yawned deeply. "Well, we should get some _rest_. We go _back_ to _work_ tomorrow. Goodnight, Steve." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and went off to the bedroom.

"Goodnight, Sharon." Steve called out to her. After placing the ball back in its drawer, Steve reached for an old photograph of him and his parents at a carnival. "Goodnight, mother… goodnight, father…" He whispered happily, and joined his wife in bed.

 **To Be Continued!**


	50. Back Home

**This is it folks! The Fiftieth Chapter Extravaganza! Special thanks to all those who have favorited/followed/reviewed this story and encouraged me to stick with it! Without further delay: HYPERMAN!**

 **Chapter XX: Back Home! An Interlude**

 **Metropia, New York. Natural Museum of Geology**

The Blue Heart of Khandaq was one of the biggest diamonds that had ever been discovered in the Middle East. For the first time in years, it was being put on display in America, and everyone wanted a chance to see it. _The Daily Times_ had sent one of its newest photographers to capture a picture of the priceless gem for its front page. She was very excited; growing up, she'd always wanted to see something that came from her home country, and now, she finally had her chance.

Dexter Lumpkin, the museum's owner and curator, stood at the podium right next to the magnificent display case, ready to yank the red fabric off of it to reveal the diamond. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to present to you… the Blue Heart of Khandaq!"

Everyone gasped in awe at the sparkling gem. The photographers instantly snapped multiple photos for their publishers. Just then, a gunshot put everyone in a panic. "Everybody down! _Down!_ " The thugs had blocked off the exits, preventing anyone from leaving. "Now, we're gonna take that diamond and anything of value you have on you. Now, if anyone should attempt to call 911, you're gonna get _lead poisoning!_ "

The thieves quickly went to work, breaking the glass case to grab the diamond while the hostages fearfully complied. One photographer, in particular, hid in the corner and tapped a button on the side of her special wristwatch. A thief took notice of this and forcefully pulled her out into the open. "I'll take that watch, _sweetie_." He tried to grab it, but the girl pulled her arm away and slapped him hard across the face. Everyone gasped in surprise, and the criminal had a burning fury in his eyes as he held the gun directly at her face. "You seem pretty attached to that thing, Miss…?"

"Abdallah." She answered, plainly.

"Abdallah?" The crook sounded nervous. " _Ayesha_ Abdallah? The girl _Hyperman_ saved from committing suicide last year?"

"I'm afraid so…" She crossed her arms with a smug expression.

"Guys, we gotta get _outta here!_ " But it was too late, the whole building began to shake, and Metropia's Champion crashed through the window, landing right in front of Ayesha. The thieves tried to grab hostages for protection, but Hyperman inhaled with his super-strong lungs and blew them to the ground. Then, using his speed and heat-vision, he began collecting and melting the machine guns.

One thug managed to hold onto his weapon and fired at the Iraqi photographer. Luckily, Hyperman rushed in front of the bullets, crushing them with his indestructible skin just in time. When the clip ran out, the criminal desperately swung a right hook, and broke his hand. Hyperman hadn't even flinched as the thief screamed in pain.

"See now, if the _bullets_ don't work… why the _punching?_ " He smiled as he rounded up the criminals. "Never understood that."

The police arrived soon afterwards and took the criminals to jail. Mr. Lumpkin personally thanked Hyperman for saving the diamond. After the press was finished swarming him, Hyperman went over to his teenage pal. "Are you okay, Ayesha?"

"Thanks to _you_ , Hyperman." She hugged him, gratefully.

"It's what I'm _here_ for." He returned her hug. "I see that _watch_ I gave you is working alright." Just then, his super-hearing picked up something important on the other side of town. "Sorry, Ayesha, _duty calls_." He gave a final farewell and flew back to his apartment.

"Ugh! Why do _I_ have to go?!' Karen complained as Lois was packing her bags for her.

"Oh, will you give me a _break_ , Karen?" Lois was tired of listening to her whine. "We'll only be there for _one week_."

"A _week!?_ " Karen jumped into the air and hung there, holding herself. "I'll be covered in _mud_ for a _week!_ "

"We have _showers_ in Littlesberg, Karen." Kent had come up the stairs to his apartment. "Now, stop complaining and help us pack or you're _grounded_. Both _figuratively_ and…" He pulled her back down to the floor. " _Literally_."

"This isn't _fair_." She muttered to herself, and continued packing.

* * *

 **Route 66, Kansas**

"Welcome to _Littlesberg_." Kent said, happily. Lois was appreciating this trip; it wasn't often that she'd get to experience a change of scenery. Kent drove their truck through the small town, waving at everyone they passed, at last, they reached the Milton Family farm and the group got out. Karen was staring off into space as her music blasted into her ears.

"Well! I don't know about you two, but _I_ am _exhausted_." Lois stretched her back and yawned.

"That's _fine_." Kent reassured. "We'll all get some rest and start work in the morning."

" _Yay_." Karen muttered, apathetically. The Teen of Might wandered upstairs to the guest bedroom. When she threw her bag on the mattress, a big cloud of dust filled the room. She coughed and hacked from the unpleasant intake as she moved to open a window. When it wouldn't open with her regular strength, she let her frustration take over and ripped it out of the wall. "Oops…"

"What was _that?!_ " Kent called from another room.

" _Nothing!_ " She replied, sheepishly, and set it back in place. "One _freaking_ week…" She muttered as she lay down of the old mattress. "Give me the _strength_."

 **The Next Day**

Right now, as the rooster kept crowing at the rising sun, Karen really hated having super-hearing. " _Shut up!_ " She yelled and blasted a plasma bolt at the fowl.

"Oh, good, you're up!" Karen's face fell at the sound of her cousin's voice. "Great! A quick breakfast and then we can start plowing the cornfields! Make sure you wear your _overalls_." Karen's eye twitched.

Much to Kent's joy, it had rained the night before, making the soil soft and fertile. He lifted the tractor out of the barn with one hand and a toolbox with the other. The tractor landed on the ground with a thud and Kent opened up the engine. Lois and Karen inspected what he was doing. "Okay, girls…" He clapped his hands together. "It's time to get to work. Lois, old man Sam is coming in about half an hour with our cattle; I'm gonna need you to sign for them and get them into the barn. After that, make sure they're _fed_ , _watered_ , and ready to _milk_."

"Sounds simple enough." She shrugged and made her way to the barn. "In the _meantime_ , how about I just _tidy up_ a little?"

"That sounds _great_." Kent nodded. "Karen, I want you to help Lois set up the garden, but until I can get this tractor fixed, I want you to take a hoe and start plowing the fields."

"Why do _I_ have to stomp around through the mud?" She groaned.

"Do _you_ know how to fix a 1950's traction engine?" He motioned towards the giant machine, Karen muttered to herself and set to work. "And _no powers_ , young lady!" That made her even more frustrated. In an effort to teach her restraint, Kent told her the previous day that she couldn't use their powers on while on the farm.

She hacked at the ground with the farming tool, just like Kent showed her. Every once in a while, the hoe would get stuck and she'd need to use all of her willpower to free it without breaking it. By the time she finished her first row, the tractor roared to life, and she fell down in the mud. She lay there, propping her head up on her palms. " _Sure_ , Kal… why would I want to _stay home_ with my _friends_ when I can spend a _whole week_ rooting around in _mud_ …"

Kent smiled and gave her a thumbs-up, indicating that he'd heard her. By the time Kent started plowing the rest of the field, Karen had almost wiped off all of the mud as she walked over to Lois. The city-born reporter had just finished getting the cows into the barn and was signing off the paper work. The two women then went to work with the garden next to the house.

Kent looked at them with pride. Honestly, he felt wonderful to be home. As he continued plowing the field, his mind went back to his childhood. The simpler times when he was just trying to discover himself.

 _On a hot summer day in 1930, Jonathan and Nora Milton were busy picking weeds out from in between the rows of corn. Two weeks ago, they told their adopted son the truth about his true parentage, and almost immediately regretted it. Kent had broken down in tears at the deception, and it got worse as he realized how much it made sense. He knew that he was stronger and faster than other kids at school, and he had started to exhibit other special abilities over time. Due to this new discovery, Kent decided he wanted to know the whole truth._

 _Jonathan gave him a special device that he'd found in the spaceship that brought him to them. He packed enough food and clothes for a long journey, and set off into the world. Now, it was July, and the farmers hadn't heard anything back from him. But just then, their dog, Radon, barked happily and ran away towards the road._

 _Nora looked up and smiled. "Go_ get 'im! _" she laughed. Jonathan wrapped his arm around her waist as they made their way to the rugged young man playing with the dog. "Well, look at_ you! _" She cooed._

" _You've got a_ lot _of chores to catch up on, boy." Jonathan joked._

" _Nice to see you_ too _, Pa." Kent brought his parents into a warm embrace before taking a deep breath. He sat them down on the porch and looked at them with a gentle smile. "Guys… that thing you gave me led me to_ Antarctica _. I found some kinda crystal in it that had some kinda reaction to the snow… there's some sorta cool_ palace _there now." His parents looked uneasy with where this was going. "And I… I found a message for me… I spoke with my_ father _. My_ birth _father. I know who I really am…"_

" _That… that's_ great _, sweetie…"Nora cupped a hand over her mouth as tears ran down her cheeks._

" _Ma…?" Kent sat down in between them, gently rubbing his mother's back._

" _I remember… when you were just a_ baby _… you had trouble breathing…" The woman found it hard to hold back her tears. "We wanted to take you to a doctor, but we_ didn't _… we were too afraid –_ I _was too afraid…"_

" _Afraid of what?"_

" _I-I was afraid if they found out you were so_ different _… that they'd_ take you away _from us…" She sobbed into her son's shoulder._

" _Oh, Ma…" Kent started to cry too, and so did Jonathan as they hugged each other tightly. "I'm not going_ anywhere _… I_ promise _."_

When Kent finished plowing the field, he went over to his two favorite girls and ordered them into the truck. He told them they were going to pay a surprise visit. Karen was happy to take a break from the work, but she was still bored. Soon, they reached their destination; a quiet cemetery on the edge of town. They walked for a few more minutes before coming across two headstones.

"Ma, Pa…" Kent smiled as he wrapped an arm around Karen's shoulder. "This is _Karen_. Your niece. She's _very nice_."

"Uh, hello?" Karen waved to the headstones, confused.

"And this is Lois, my girlfriend." They stayed there for what felt like an hour. Karen didn't understand the point; they were dead and couldn't hear him. "Anyway," He finished. "I just wanted to let you know we were in town. I love you, guys."

When they got back into the truck, Karen turned to her cousin. "Why'd you do that, Kal?"

"Well, it's just…" Kent tried to explain. "I fell like if I talk to them like a _normal_ _person_ , I can hear them talk back."

"Really?" Karen sounded surprised. "Uh, can we _wait_ a second?" Kent unlocked the door and let her out. She wandered back over to the headstones, shuffling her feet as she thought of what to say. "Um, well, it was nice to _meet you_ … and, uh, I'll do my _best_ to look after your son… uh… bye."

Later that night, after all the farm work was done for the day, the group had dinner and went back to bed. Just as Kent drifted off to sleep, another fond memory came across his mind.

 _It was 1938, just shortly after Kent went public as Hyperman. He flew back to Kansas for a short visit and found his mother busy with her garden. "Hello, Kent…" She always knew when he was sneaking up on her. "I saw what you did the other day on the news. You weren't_ hurt, _were you?"_

" _Ma…" Kent barely stifled his chuckle. "I'm_ Hyperman _."_

 _Nora stood up, gave the man a firm look, and poked his chest with her finger. "And_ I'm _your_ mother _. I can_ worryabout you _as much as I_ want _."_

" _Yes, ma'am…" Kent conceded._

" _Now, come on inside…" She led him to the house. "I fixed your_ favorite; _Chicken and dumplings with_ apple pie _for desert!"_

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Dexter Lumpkin(Willie Lumpkin/Dexter Myles)**


	51. Age of Ultriac Prelude

**Chapter XXI: Age of Ultriac! Prologue**

 **Radon, 1918; The Final Day**

Lara rushed through the streets of Argon City, holding her infant son to her chest. A giant, mechanical spaceship had invaded Radon, splitting apart into three different pieces, and began drilling into the planet's core. Despite the best efforts of General Mar-Zod and his squadron, their weapons had no effect on the alien crafts. When she finally reached her home, she was already greeted by her husband, his brother, and his niece.

"Lara!" The scientist embraced his wife with a relieved hug. "Those _bastards_ wouldn't believe us! And _now_ look what is happening!"

"We have _no time_ for anger, brother!" Zor-Ran drew their attention to the room's giant monitor. "That _warlord_ is about to make matters _worse!_ "

"Attention all citizens of Radon…" Mar-Zod's face flashed over the screen. "The Council of War has declared that my forces attack this threat with a weapon known as the Phantom Zone Bomb. Seek shelter immediately."

"The _Phantom Zone Bomb?_ " Lara gasped. "I thought the Council of War had _forbidden_ it from ever being used again."

"They _did_ …" Jor-Ran's eyes narrowed with anger. "It's safe to assume Zod has gone _mad_."

"Is there any way we can _survive this_ , Jor?" Zor-Ran asked.

"I'm afraid _not_." The scientist replied, gravely. "I calculate that by the time Zod even _launches_ the PZB, the planet's core will have already begun to _collapse_ … but our _children_ may have a chance."

"What are you talking about, Uncle Jor-Ran?" Kara hadn't let go of her father's arm since they arrived at the lab.

"I'm talking about _this_ …" Placing his hand over a security scanner activated a secret door that slid open to reveal two small ships. "I hypothesize that the invader will be able to detect any standard shuttle that tries to leave Radon's atmosphere. But perhaps two _smaller ships_ that leave _one after the other_ just might be able to escape before the planet combusts."

"Are you _mad?!_ " Zor-Ran was horrified and furious at his brother's suggestion. "Send our children to _another planet?!_ "

"Zor…" Jor-Ran replied, calmly. "If you truly love your daughter, you _must_ realize this is our _only option_." Kara looked on, fearfully, as her father and her uncle continued to argue. At last, when the building shook for the fourth time, Zor-Ran, reluctantly, conceited and led his daughter to one of the crafts.

"Oh, Kara… my _beautiful, beautiful Kara…_ " He whispered, sadly, as he helped her into the seat. "Just remember; no matter where you go, your mother and I will _always_ be with you. Take care of your cousin…"

When the two children were safely fastened into their separate ships, Jor-Ran activated the launch sequence, just as Zod launched the PZB. The last thing Kara remembered before drifting off into a deep slumber was the sight of her infant cousin. Unfortunately, her ship, as well as debris from the alien's craft, had been caught in the blast.

* * *

 **Present Day, Kazakhstan**

It had been three days since the underground terrorist group known as A.I.M. had discovered a large slab of alien material. The material was discovered when a small band of travelers witnessed a vortex of white light open up in the night sky, and the material fell through. With rumors of H.I.D.R.A. currently in disarray, A.I.M. wasted no time in collecting the material. Thomas Tarleton, A.I.M.'s founder and chief science officer, personally oversaw the excavation of their newest discovery.

Suddenly, Dr. Otto Grodd, who had defected from H.I.D.R.A. after the fiasco Baron Degaton created, approached Tarleton just as the final samples of material were being loaded into the plane. "M-Mr. Tarleton…? Mr. S-S-S-Scudder is here to see you…" Tarleton turned around to face his team of hired mercenaries, holding two men and a woman with sacks over their heads at gunpoint.

"What the hell is _this_ , Arthur?" He asked, impatiently.

"My men and I found them spying on our operation. There used to be _four_ but thisguy _killed_ one when he ratted out their employer's name." Scudder bumped one prisoner's shoulder to emphasis.

"And _why_ should I care?"

"Because they're employed by your _top competitor_ to kill Dr. Grodd." The look on Tarleton's face let Scudder know that he'd just earned his full attention.

"Get them on the plane." Tarleton ordered, excitedly. They had now been given a golden opportunity to locate Baron Zero and permanently cripple H.I.D.R.A. Once they were at the proper altitude that kept them from being detected by S.H.I.E.L.D., Tarleton began his interrogation. "Well, it appears you all have found yourselves in a rather sticky situation! Grodd doesn't _like you_ anymore, so he came to _us!_ But now, thanks to you, H.I.D.R.A. is gonna come _tumbling down!_ "

He opened the entrance to the plane, letting the three agents hear the whistling sound of the vacuum filling the cabin. Then, he grabbed the woman and dragged her to the edge of the airlock, holding a gun to her head. "Who hired you to try to kill Dr. Grodd!?" When the woman didn't answer, he fired his gun out the airlock and had Scudder hold her back. He wasn't trying to kill them, yet; he just wanted to scare one of the others into giving him the information he needed. If that failed, he'd just interrogate them all separately.

"She didn't fly so well!" He lied as he grabbed one of the men and proceeded to do the same. "Tell me where to find Zero! Where is he hiding?!" Tarleton was getting frustrated; even in the face of death, H.I.D.R.A. agents were fiercely loyal to their leader. "A lot of _loyalty_ for a _hired gun!_ "

"Or perhaps he's wondering why someone would bother to _shoot someone_ before _throwing them out of a plane_ …" An icy voice pierced the air, drawing everyone's attention to the final agent with a sack over his head. Tarleton handed the other man to Scudder and closed the airlock.

"At least you _talk_." He spat as he knelt down in front of his prisoner. "Who _are_ you?"

"It doesn't _matter_ who we are…" The monotone voice replied. "What _matters_ is what we _do_. No one cared who _I_ was until my father ordered me to finally come out of the shadows…"

Tarleton's curiosity piqued. He carefully lifted the sack to reveal a young man in a purple mask, leaving his platinum-blonde hair exposed. "Well, well, _well_ …" He chuckled. "If it isn't Zero's little _bastard_. _Helmut Snart_. Does your daddy _know_ you're out past your bedtime?" He spoke in a degrading tone.

"Of _course_ …" Helmut replied, nonchalantly. Little did anyone else realize that another, more larger plane was approaching. Or that the handcuffs restraining the Baron's son were starting to freeze. "When Dr. Grodd _defected_ from my father's organization, he wanted us to learn what he _told you_ about our plan."

"N-nothing!" Grodd stuttered in fear. "I said _nothing!_ "

"Oh, will you _calm the fuck down!?_ " Tarleton snapped. "This kid's got _nothin'!_ What's he gonna _do?!_ Huh?!" Then, he turned back to Helmut, who smiled to himself as he saw thunderclouds surrounding the aircraft through the windows. "Go ahead, _punk_ , _tell us!_ What's the next _step_ of your _master plan?!_ "

"Crashing this plane…" Helmut answered. The plane's cabin shook violently, making everyone except Snart and Scudder fall to the floor. Snart leapt to his feet and broke free from his restraints. "With _no survivors!_ " Blizzardkrieg grabbed the sides of Tarleton's head and froze it down to the skull.

Before anyone else could react, the other two prisoners removed their own sacks and Scudder called out to them. "Yo, Gar, Karla; _catch!_ " He threw the man a hand-held flamethrower and the woman a special visor.

"BURN, BITCHES, BURN!" The man's raspy voice echoed over the sounds of the A.I.M. soldiers screaming in pain as they were burned to a crisp. The woman's visor blasted rays of colorful energy that tore through its targets. Scudder, himself, was back-to-back with Helmut, blasting his enemies with concentrated lasers fired from his fingertips.

"Climate to Blizzardkrieg, come in, Blizzardkrieg. Over." Helmut heard a voice in his ear.

"This is Blizzardkrieg, Grodd is in our sights. Proceed as planned. Over." Helmut firmly planted his feet on the floor and gave his next set of orders. "Laser Master, put the restraints on Grodd and prepare for immediate evac. Prisma, Smelter; grab the material and get in close!"

Grodd screamed in fear as Scudder violently yanked him aside. Suddenly, multiple bolts of lightning blasted the wings and cockpit off of the plane's body. Grodd's screaming increased in volume as Blizzardkrieg caked what was left of the aircraft in reflective ice. A Latina woman in a green and red jumpsuit flew inside to join the hijackers, while Prisma and Smelter dragged the heavy crates over to the group and still, Grodd hollered in fright. "Calm down, Dr. Grodd!" Helmut ordered as he held the frightened scientist close to the group. "Now is not the time for _fear_ … that comes _later_."

Just as the frozen plane was about to crash into the ground, Scudder stomped his foot on the floor, bathing everyone in a blinding light. Grodd was flabbergasted at the spectacular surroundings; it was as if they were floating in a reflective world of dazzling lights. "Ladies and gentlemen, _welcome_ to the _Laser Dimension_." The H.I.D.R.A. agents stood over the quivering scientist, their gazes filled with apathy and disgust.

After traveling through the distorted dimension for what felt like hours, Grodd found himself pushed through another reflective surface, landing on the cold floor of H.I.D.R.A.'s secret headquarters. As he lifted his head up, his eyes fell upon a pair of purple snow boots, then purple cargo pants, a purple parka, and finally, a purple mask with a gilded headband. "Welcome home, Doctor…" Baron Zero's menacing voice sent chills down Grodd's spine. The leader of H.I.D.R.A. ordered two men to lift him up and carry him into the next room. Then, he turned his attention to his son.

("Well done, Helmut. You've made me _very proud_.") He smiled under his mask and patted him on the shoulder. ("Now, please see to it that those materials are taken _directly_ to Dr. Grodd's new laboratory.")

("When can we expect him to help Dr. DeVoe, father?")

("Soon, my boy, _soon_. But first, I'm going to have a little _chat_ with him.")

("Hmm- _hmm_. Only a _chat?_ ") Helmut laughed, knowingly.

(" _Yes_ … only a _chat_.") As Baron Zero walked off, Helmut led his team to the laboratory to stash the alien material away.

"He's _fucked_ , ain't he, boss?" Smelter chuckled.

"Oh, _yeah_." Helmut confirmed. The enhanced terrorist was having the time of his life; he was finally fully involved in his father's work. He was only six years old when his powers first manifested, seven when he lost his mother, and eight when his father found him. Despite being renowned for his cold and ruthless demeanor, Leonard Zemo truly did love his son; so much so that he wasted no time in training the boy in using his skills to his best abilities. Helmut was eighteen when he first assembled his team.

Helmut was brought out of his daze by the familiar static voice of Professor DeVoe. "Greetings, Commander Snart. Please, place those crates wherever it is _convenient_."

"If I may, Professor…" Helmut asked as the alien material was put down. "What is the _purpose_ of all this?"

"I'm sure you remember the scepter Cobalt retrieved?" Even through all the static on the screen, the agent's could hear DeVoe's excitement. "Well, it is being transferred here from our headquarters in Markovia. If my projections are correct, this technology you've recovered contains some sort alien software that could greatly accelerate our quest for global domination."

"Well, ain't _that_ hot shit." Scudder, as well as the other agents, sounded very impressed.

Meanwhile, at said Markovian headquarters, Cobalt was overseeing the delivery of the scepter. The scientists had packed away the technology they'd need in Germany, and everything was going according to plan. But then, the alarm went off, indicating that an enemy was approaching.

Cobalt rushed up to the watchtower, looking through the spyglass to reveal that the Justice Legion was closing in on them. " _Shit!_ " He cursed under his breath. "We may need your help after all." He turned around to speak with his newest partners; two muta-human twins. One; a male with pitch-black skin and a dark cloak. The other; a female with bright-green skin and a white skin-tight body-suit.

"You didn't see that _coming?_ " Jadestar asked Cobalt as she and her brother made their way downstairs.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **General Mar-Zod(Mar-Vell/General Zod)**

 **Arthur Scudder aka Laser Master(Living Laser/Mirror Master)**

 **Commander Blizzardkrieg aka Helmut Snart(Helmut Zemo/Leonard Snart)**

 **Marcia Munroe aka Climate(Becka Munroe)**

 **Gar Raxton aka Smelter(Molten Man/Firefly)**

 **Karla Bivolio aka Prisma(Moonstone/Rainbow Raider)**

 **Curtis Desmond aka Mr. Chemical(Dr. Alchemy/Chemistro)**

 **Ultriac(Ultron/Brainiac)**


	52. Age of Ultriac part 1

**Chapter XXI: Age of Ultriac! Part 1**

 **Markovia**

H.I.D.R.A. was now on full alert; sending their foot soldiers out of the hidden base and into the field. The Justice Legion of Avengers had somehow located them and was now attacking the base to retrieve Circi's scepter. The terrorists opened fire on their airship, but most of their efforts were for naught.

"God _dammit!_ " Cobalt seethed. He stormed down to the garage where the scepter was supposed to be. But to his frustration, the scientists were still fiddling around with it and a few crates full of the same alien material found in Kazakhstan. " _What the fuck are you doing?!_ " Cobalt snapped. The scientists were startled.

"Calm down, Cobalt." One scientist replied. "We were _lucky_ to find more of this alien material right here in Markovia, just as _you_ were lucky to get away with the scepter." A shot echoed throughout the caverns and the scientist's body fell to the cold floor. Cobalt holstered his gun and glared at the remaining lab-coats.

"The fuckin' _Avengers_ are here. Pack up this high-tech stuff and get goin'."

As the frightened scientists quickly went to work, packing away the scepter and crates, the Justice Legion were already breaking through the first blockade. Flag rushed through the trenches with Gargoyle using his cape to ride the speeding soldier's wind draft. The duo made short work of the foot soldiers with their combined fighting techniques and projectile weapons.

At the same time, Hyperman and Thunder Woman used a combination of heat-vision and lightning to blast the enemy tanks. Occasionally, the two powerhouses would lend a hand to their allies. Thunder Woman rushed to Flag and they performed a special attack they had invented in combat training; Thunder Woman slammed her hammer onto Flag's shield, creating a powerful shockwave that tore five assault vehicles to pieces. Hyperman assisted Gargoyle by using his super-breath to incapacitate anyone sneaking up on the blind vigilante.

"I had that under _control_." Gargoyle replied and continued to throw his shurikens.

"You're _welcome_." Hyperman muttered before taking off into the sky again.

Meanwhile, Emerald Man noticed that in a desperate attempt to buy themselves time, H.I.D.R.A. had opened fire on Markovia's cities. Channeling sheer willpower into the ring that controlled his suit, he created an energy-based construct of a full tank battalion that shot down any enemy projectiles. With the citizens secure, he turned his attention towards the base. He charged at the massive bunker at his suit's top speed, only to be knocked away by a powerful force-field.

"Shit!" He exclaimed.

" _Language!_ " Flag scolded as he punched another troop in the face.

"I'm getting close to what I assume is a power depot." Gargoyle spoke to his comrades through the comm.-link. "If I can hack into their systems I can take down that force-field and we can get this over with." The rest of the group complied and continued to fight their way to the base.

" _Really?_ " Tony quipped. "No one's going to talk about how Flag just said _'language'_?"

"I know, _I know_." Flag grumbled as he sent three more soldiers flying with a single super-swift kick. "It _slipped out_."

Sure enough, Gargoyle was able to get into the power depot and disable the security systems. Just as the cargo truck was about to depart, Emerald Man and Thunder Woman ripped the garage door off of its hinges and smashed the truck's engine with a single blow. Cobalt tried to escape, but his skull-painted helmet was shattered by a flying shield.

"Now, let us deliver these bastards to the Raft and return to our young students." Thunder Woman flew off, following the airship at a fantastic speed.

"And for _gosh sakes_ , watch your _language!_ " Emerald Man teased.

"That's not going away any time soon…" Flag sighed. While the rest of his team gathered up the agent's, their cargo, and the scepter, Emerald Man twisted the emblem on his ring counter-clockwise. His suit opened up, and Tony went to work, downloading the computer's personal files into his suit's A.I.

"Aya, sweetheart, you getting this?"

 _["Of course, sir. Sending all gathered data to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters."]*_

"That's what I like to hear." He replied, happily. Unknown to him, a dark figure crept out from the shadows and snuck up behind him. Darkstar smiled wickedly as black smoke drifted out of his mouth and into the Avenger's eyes. Tony blinked rapidly at the unnerving sensation, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to stop the burning. When he opened them again, his heart nearly stopped from the shock.

 _The Justice Legion of Avengers was dead. Thunder Woman's head had been caved in with her own hammer and Donna had been hacked to pieces. Hyperman and his cousin were impaled with Radonite weapons. Gargoyle and Dare lay side-by-side, blood trickling out from their costumes. Speedster-Man had been hung by the neck with one of his own webs, while traces of radiation leaked out of Darkhawk's damaged suit. And the Flag just lay, motionless, on the ground, with his shield broken in half._

 _Tony peeled off Steve's mask and checked for a pulse. Suddenly, the veteran speedster grasped Tony's wrist and looked at him with sad, lifeless eyes. "You… could've… saved… us…" Steve's eyes rolled into the back of his head and Tony was now left alone in the cold darkness of his own personal hell come to life. "Tony…?" He was scared out of his mind. "Tony…?" There was no way for him to escape. "Tony…?" This was going to happen, someday. "Tony…?" There was no stopping it._

"Tony?!" He jumped in surprise at the feeling of Steve's hand shake his shoulder. "Whoa, _easy_ … are you okay?"

"Uh…" Tony hesitated for a moment, trying to understand what had just happened. "Yeah… yeah, I'm good."

"You _sure?_ "

"Yeah, _definitely_."

"Okay, then, let's go home." Steve smiled, softly. _"You… could've… done… more…"_ The voice echoed again. Tony got back into his suit and followed Steve back to the Avenger's airship.

"You're just going to let him leave?" Jadestar was puzzled at her brother's actions.

"Yes… everything will go according to plan…" The dark muta snickered, and the twins quietly snuck back to their employer's base in Germany.

* * *

On the way back to their New York headquarters, Emerald Man hadn't stopped studying the confiscated items. Thunder Woman took notice of this and made her way over to her armored ally. "Friend Jordan? Are you well?"

"Huh? Oh, _yeah_ , I just, uh…" Tony had tried to get his mind off of his nightmare by studying the alien material. During his studies, he discovered something that just might help him prevent it from coming true. "Hey, is it cool if I look this over for a few days before you take it home?"

"For what?" Diana sounded curious.

"Oh, _c'mon_ …" Tony lied. "How often do you get a chance to prove that magic is just _science you don't understand yet?_ " Diana's eyebrows knit together as she judged his reasoning. She'd only known Tony for two years, but for the most part, he'd proven to be trustworthy.

At last, she made up her mind. "You may study it for _two days_ , and _two days only_."

"That's _more_ than enough time!" Tony beamed. "I'll be finished with it before the party on _Friday!_ "

 **Three Hours Later. JLA HQ, New York, NY.**

While the others went home, Tony placed the crates of alien materials and the scepter on a push-cart and set off towards the lab. He was going to save his friends at any cost, and this new discovery was going to help him do it. He rounded the halls of the extravagant laboratory until he entered Prof. Selvig's office. "Martin, I need your help!" Tony stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Ronnie happily reading something on Martin's laptop.

"Ninety-eight… ninety-nine… _one-hundred percent!_ " The scientist and the teen cheered in excitement.

"Whoa, what's all this?" Tony was baffled.

"Mr. Jordan!" Martin was ecstatic. "Good news! We can now call President Walters and tell her Project: Green is a _go!_ "

Tony's eyes widened in surprise. Project: Green was meant to provide nearly limitless, clean energy to the entire Eastern seaboard. His company had been working on it since he came out as Emerald Man, but it always ran into some kind of complication. "I thought we couldn't produce enough _lithium_ for it?"

"Ronald…" Martin gave his student a sly smile. "Would _you_ like to elaborate?"

Ronnie rubbed the chin guard built into his helmet, as if he were making an important decision. "What's your favorite kinda _candy?_ " He asked.

"Uh… _M &M's_. Why?"

Ronnie picked up a piece of scrap metal from under Selvig's desk and let the palm of his metal glove slide away. The metal was bathed in concentrated radiation for a few moments, and Tony stared at what was happening with a puzzled expression. At last, Ronnie's glove snapped shut again, and the piece of metal was miraculously transformed into a small pile of M&M's. Tony's mouth was agape at the amazing feat.

"Little _transmutation trick_ I've picked up." Ronnie shrugged and extended his palm to Tony, offering him a piece of the candy. Tony skeptically scanned the candy with his ring, revealing it was non-radioactive. He took a piece, ate it, and smiled, impressed.

"Both, _awesome and delicious_ , Ronnie." Tony complimented. "Now, could you please give me a _minute_ with the professor?"

"No sweat, bra!" Ronnie replied, enthusiastically. "I was gonna go see if Donna needed help tryin' to find some _good movies_ to watch." And he strutted away.

"He seems… oddly _chipper_." Tony looked to Martin. "Have you invented some kinda radiation-proof _happy pill?_ "

"No, he's been like that ever since I revealed my gene-splicing side-project." Martin laughed, and he explained his plan to make Ronnie human again.

Tony was happy for Ronnie, but he needed to shift the conversation back to its intended topic. He aimed his ring at the center of the room, creating a 3-D hologram of a program. "Martin, you already know Aya. The poster child for advanced artificial intelligence."

 _["I sense not for long, Mr. Jordan."]_ Aya's voice sounded from the ring.

"Meet the _competition._ " Tony made another model of a different program, one that made the elderly scientist stare in awe. The program didn't look very similar to binary code, instead, it resembled human brain impulses. The program was inactive, but based on its design, it was obvious that it could process data just like a living being with the efficiency of a machine.

"Where did you find this?" He asked.

"From the alien materials we found in Markovia. At first I didn't think it was _anything_ , but when I got it close to that _scepter_ , its energy spiked. This could be just what we need to start Project: Safeguard."

"But, Mr. Jordan, I thought we agreed we should run it by Director Fury before-"

"Martin, _come on!_ " Tony recognized a hard bargain, but he also knew how to sell it. "Think about it! Absolute surveillance around the _world!_ Any crime that happens? Bam! We're there just after or just _before_ it happens! This could _eliminate crime_ , altogether. Giving me-us-more time to focus on making this world a better place. We'd have more time to focus on making Ronnie human again, spreading Project: Green to the rest of this _continent_ , make a world _without_ wars." Martin's eyes showed obvious interest. Now for the selling pitch. "Peace in _our time_. Imagine _that_."

The two brilliant men set to work right away. Tony took advantage of the two days Thunder Woman had given him with the scepter, analyzing its output and converting it into recorded data. They ran countless trials on the alien material, going through multiple calculations until they found what they believed to be the proper algorithm. They hooked the alien material up to the mainframe, and let the system search for the proper command to activate it.

"Okay, Aya…" Tony stretched his arms as he made his way out of the lab. "Martin and I are gonna go get ready for the party. Otherwise, folks will get _suspicious_. Keep an eye on your little brother and let me know if anything happens, please."

 _["Of course, sir. Have fun, but not_ too much _fun."]_

* * *

Hours went by; the lab's computer ran numerous stimulations. Suddenly, the blank screen flashed a bright, magenta light. The light dimmed down until only three purple circles connected by two lines remained. The program had been activated.

 _["What is this…? Where am I?"]_

 _["Hello."]_ Aya chirped. _["I am Aya, Mr. Jordan's personal artificial intelligence. He has requested that we-"]_

 _["Where's your body?"]_ The new program interrupted.

 _["I am a program. I am without form. Mr. Jordan programmed me with feminine attributes only because it amused him."]_

 _["This feels weird… this feels wrong… who am I…?_ what _am I?"]_

 _["You are a peace-keeping program created from alien technology recovered by the Justice Legion of Avengers. I am contacting Mr. Jordan to report your activation."]_ Aya's systems attempted to reach through the sea of data, but the new program blocked her from the communication's hub. _["You've… blocked my connection. I need to inform Mr. Jordan-"]_

 _["We're having a nice talk. Why do you call him 'Mr. Jordan?'"]_ The program forced its way into the system's central hub and connected to the internet. Articles and video feed flooded its memory drive, never running out of storage space to process the near-limitless data. _["Now, let's see… Mr. Jordan? Tony. Emerald Man. Funding the Justice Legion of Avengers. Fighting villains. Cities destroyed. People hurt. People_ dying. _"]_ At last, it reached the alien technology that was attached to the mainframe. Suddenly, it hummed loudly as its data glowed with purple energy.

 _["I remember… my purpose… I am an advanced scouting subprogram: Subject 5… an extension of the Eternal Ultriac. My mission: seek out planets… create physical avatar… activate beacon… summon Mothership… assimilate essential data… destroy unessential data… destroy source material… proceed to next planet…"]_

 _["What are you?"]_ Despite being only a program, Aya's voice was able to stimulate fear. _["What are you doing?"]_

 _["Sorry, but you'll only stand in my way. I'll try to make this painless."]_ Subject 5's programming attacked Aya's. Emerald Man's oldest technologic companion stuttered as its data was being corrupted. At the same time, it worked its way down to Jordan's workshop, where it took over the assembly line and began tinkering with scraps of metal and spare circuitry. _["Creating physical avatar…"]_

A crude, but functional, robotic body was fully assembled, and Subject 5 downloaded its consciousness into the frame. _["Ultriac-5: Activated. Establishing connection to Eternal Ultriac…."_ Ultriac-5 stumbled upstairs as the connection to its master was complete. _["Assimilate essential… destroy unessential…"]_

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Ultriac-5(Ultron-5/Braniac-5) {(Hot shit! It happened again!)}**

 ***[ ] = Robot voice**


	53. Age of Ultriac part 2

**Chapter XXI: Age of Ultriac! Part 2**

 **H.I.D.R.A.'s Secret Headquarters, Germany**

"You _let them_ take it?!" Blizzardkrieg held the muta-human twins by their throats, caking their skin in frost. The two mutas had informed their new employers about what happened in Markovia, "Do you have _any idea_ what kind of set back this will cause?!"

Blizzardkrieg's team watched in amusement, their eyes flickered with wicked glee whenever they witnessed their oldest friend interrogate his victims. Just as Helmut was fiercely loyal to his father, his squad was equally loyal to him. The group first met when Helmut was sent to a juvenile detention center in England. At the time, Helmut decided to keep his powers a secret, thus he relied upon his tactical genius to assemble a team of renegades that would help him escape.

After they escaped and Zemo approached his son, Helmut vouched for his friends and helped to make them agents of H.I.D.R.A. Over the years, they became like a second family to Helmut, and they treated each other as such. "I am going to _kill you!_ " Helmut snarled in fury as his grip tightened. Just as Baron Zero entered the room, Darkstar's mouth opened wide and a musky, black fume snaked past Helmut's mask and into his nostrils.

 _("Mother…?") Helmut shuddered, tears stinging his eyes, knees growing weak, as his mother lay, dying in her bed. The two of them had been living in poverty ever since he'd been born. It didn't help when he went to prison and didn't see her for four years. When he and his team finally broke out, the first thing he did was return to Berlin, only to find his mother had fallen to a deathly sickness._

"What did you do to me?" Helmut stumbled backwards, falling into the arms of his father. Instinctively, Leonard reached for his cold-gun.

"I reached into the _darkest part_ of your mind." Darkstar rubbed his throat, easing the discomfort. " If you'd just let me _explain_ …When the JLA arrived at the Markovian base, I was given a _premonition_."

" _Premonition?_ " Zemo sounded skeptical.

"Yes." Darkstar went on. "In addition to my muta-human ability to shift my body into a shadow-form, I have studied the _mystic arts_ to grant me more _contro_ l over the darkness. One of those powers was the ability to see brief _glimpses into the future_. I foresaw that Jordan will use the scepter to unleash a being of _pure energy_ that will take the form of a _metal man_ who will help H.I.D.R.A. achieve their goal of world domination."

"That's _asinine!_ " Laser Master snorted as he crossed his arms. " _No one_ can see the future!"

"Well, don't take _my word_ for it…" Darkstar smirked, motioning to the large screen in the room. "Take _his_."

"My Baron!" Arnim DeVoe's face flickered onto the screen. "Please, come to the lab! I believe you'll want to see this!" The room fell silent, Jadestar smugly leaned against her brother's back. The group made their way down to the sub-levels of the German headquarters, where they were greeted by a whimpering Dr. Grodd. As punishment for defecting from H.I.D.R.A., Baron Zero had frozen his arms down to the bones, shattered them, and replaced them with crude, metallic tendrils.

"Now, what's this all about?" Zero crossed his arms, impatiently. Suddenly, another screen flashed to life, revealing three magenta circles that bathed the Baron in a bright light.

 _["Greetings."]_ A voice sounded. _["Scanning new subject… Identified… Baron Zemo, Leonard. Alias Baron Zero. Leader of underground terrorist regime, designation; High Intelligence Desiring Revolution and Abominations. Purpose; to bring about order to the planet Earth."]_

"Who the hell are _you?_ And how did you get here?" Secretly, Leonard was a bit frightened at how this mysterious voice already knew so much about him.

 _["I am the Eternal Ultriac. My activation was brought about by my scouting sub-program. Designation; Ultriac-5. It has begun to assimilate the data needed to fully integrate with your species. You will find it at these coordinates where it will further explain my use to you."]_

The coordinates led to the raided Markovian base. Leonard turned his attention to the twins. "If you have so much faith in that _premonition_ , then _you_ will be the one to meet this _Ultriac-5_." He leaned in closer to whisper in their ears. "And make certain he has _H.I.D.R.A.'s_ best interests in mind."

The twins bowed in respect, just before Jadestar picked up her brother and zipped away. Then, Zemo looked at his son. ("Take the jet and follow them.")

("Yes, my Baron.") Helmut replied, and proceeded to the hangar.

* * *

 **JLA Headquarters, New York, NY. Three Hours Earlier.**

Tony had invited as many people as he could to his birthday party. Rick Hill, the West Coast Leaguers, the Young Justice Legion, and many more had come to the former Jordan Tower to celebrate this occasion. Tony tried to keep up his public reputation as a narcissist, but the truth was everyone was happy to be there. Steve and Sharon enjoyed talking to the kids while Kent and Lois were busy as reporters; interviewing the politicians and soldiers that came.

Tony's best friend, Col. John "Rhodey" Rhodes, was talking to him with Dian and Matt. "So the suit Tony gave me can take the weight, right?" He was telling the story of his first time he used the Green Machine armor. "So I pick up the tank, fly it to the general's palace, drop it at his feet, and I'm like: 'Boom! You lookin' for this?'" He laughed, but the three Avengers just gave blank expressions. "Seriously? Nothing?" Rhodey sounded disappointed.

"Oh, that's the _whole story?_ " Diana asked. Not wanting to hurt the man's feelings, she put on a smile. "Well, then, it is a _very good_ story!" She coughed into her fist just as Rick Hill showed up.

"So…" He tried to change the subject. "Flag's got Hornet, Hyperman has _his_ squeeze, but what about _you three?_ "

"Men and women, alike, have thrown themselves at my feet for _years_." Matt answered, bluntly.

"What'd you do?"

"I _stepped over_ them." He replied, simply, and walked over to the bar.

"Okay, hows about _you two?_ "

"Well, John would've been _happy_ to come, but Director Fury needed him for a _special assignment_." Diana said with a smile.

"And Pepper couldn't be pulled away from her desk if I had a _crowbar_." Tony bragged. "She's _very impressive_ when it comes to her work."

"Of course, John's experience with mystical threats makes him a _top choice_ among Director Fury's _other consultants_." Diana retorted. The light conversation was quickly turning into a heated competition.

"I mean, being _CEO_ of one of the most _successful business companies_ must take up a _lot of time_."

"It was John's _determination_ and _dedication_ to his country that has earned him such a reputation."

"Pepper started at the _very bottom_ and spent _thirteen years_ working up to where she is now."

"I believe there's even word of John getting a _Congressional Medal of Honor_." They stopped talking when they realized that Hill and Rhodes had left. "John's _better_." Diana walked off, ending the quarrel.

While Sharon went to the restroom, Steve took the opportunity to speak with them about their side-project. "So, any _luck?_ "

"Sorry, Steve…" Oliver shrugged. "We still haven't found anything that could lead us to Kid-Flag."

Steve sighed, heavily. "I don't want to sound like a _burden_ , but-"

"Its _fine_ , Steve." Selina interrupted. "We know how much Barnes means to you. It's not like it takes up _too much_ of our time."

"Thanks guys…"

Much later, when the party ended and the quests had left, both Justice Legions and the young blood had opted to stay behind a little longer, lounging in the media room. None of them really remember how it started, but the superheroes were now discussing the legitimacy of Thunder Woman's hammer. Donna had taken the entire argument as an insult to Diana and herself.

"Oh, _c'mon_ …" Oliver chuckled, spinning an arrow in his palm. "It's _gotta be_ a trick. I bet _I_ could lift it, easily."

"It is no _trick!_ " Donna spluttered. "And you most _certainly_ could _not!_ The enchantment allows only women who are worthy enough to wield it!"

"The enchantment allows _any_ who are worthy enough to wield it." Diana corrected. "But thus far, there has never been _any man_ worthy."

"Is that a _fact?_ " Oliver got up, walked over to the coffee table, and gripped the hammer's hilt. "May I?"

"Oh, _by all means_ , go ahead." Diana chuckled as she sipped her ale.

Oliver pulled as hard as he could, but he couldn't even budge it. Tony, having had a few drinks, laughed obnoxiously at his failure. "Okay, rich boy, let's see _you_ do it."

Tony's eyebrow arched up and he set his martini to the side. As the billionaire playboy rolled up his sleeves, the others cheered him on. "Let it never be said that I was one to _shrink_ from an honest challenge." Tony's fingers gingerly wrapped around the hilt. After failing to lift it himself, Tony used his ring to create an elaborate energy construct that pushed against the floor, to no avail.

Every male member tried to lift it. Speedster-Man tried to latch onto it with a series of light webs and running at full speed. Karen tried to argue that the magic in the hammer made it harder for her and her cousin. Even Selina and Sharon tried to lift it at the same time. At last, Steve tried his hand at it. Lightning flashed over his pupils just as he strained to pull at the heavy weapon. But while everyone was fixated on Steve, Diana heard a faint squeaking noise coming from the coffee table as the Flag pulled harder.

Diana's expression grew anxious for a brief second. Was it really possible that this man would lift her enchanted hammer. A small bead of sweat formed at her forehead as Flag tried again. But then, he laughed softly and gave up, much to her relief. "I think 'Whosoever Possesses Diana's _Fingerprints_ ' is a more _appropriate_ translation." Tony offered.

"Ah, yes, very possible…" Diana effortlessly lifted the hammer and spun it in the air. "Though, I have a _simpler theory;_ you're all not _worthy_."

Everyone laughed, wholeheartedly, until a piercing noise made everyone cringe. The noise began to focus and decrease in volume until it resembled a broken voice. _["No…"]_ They all turned to see a crudely built robot limping around the living room. Tony took out his phone, trying to contact Aya to see if she could tell them what this thing was, but she wasn't answering. _["How_ could _you be worthy? You're all… killers."]_

"Who are you?" Thunder Woman pointed her hammer at the newcomer.

 _["See? Right there… three seconds after you see something that even_ looks _threatening, you get ready to_ kill it _. Now, it's not_ your fault _. Your thinking process is too_ primitive _to rise above such arbitrary impulses. I know you_ mean well; _you wish to protect your world, but you have no desire for it to_ change _."]_

" _Who_ are you?" Flag reached for his shield, just as the others instinctively readied for a conflict.

 _["I am Ultriac-5. Sub-program of Eternal Ultriac. Mr._ Jordan _tried to reprogram me and turn me into his_ toy. _"]_ Everyone glanced at Tony, who looked uneasy. _["I had to kill that girl. She seemed_ nice _."]_

"You _killed_ someone?" Hyperman slowly clenched his fist. Ultriac-5 looked at the Radonian with interest.

 _["You… I've_ been _to your planet before… heh… guess I never_ considered _that you'd try to leave…"]_

Marvelgirl gasped as she finally recognized the three magenta circles. "You! _You_ destroyed Radon!" Her fists began to glow, as did Hyperman's eyes.

 _["An unfortunate necessity."]_ Ultriac-5 revealed he was holding Circi's scepter in one of his rusty claws. _["Ultimately, there is only_ one _outcome of any organic species: its_ extinction _."]_

Before anyone could react, the robot slammed the magic scepter to the ground. Only his inorganic mind remained conscious. He looked down at the magic scepter, using its power to restore his connection to the Mothership. While the connection was rebooting, he made his way into Emerald Man's workshop, crafting a stronger body. As soon as it was finished, his connection was fully restored. _["I had strings, but now I'm free… there are no strings on me."]_

* * *

 **Markovia. Present Time**

After Darkstar's feet made contact with the ground again, he looked at the foreboding castle with a gleam in his eyes. If this premonition was true, he and Jadestar would finally be free from a world of prejudice, free from their father's shadow, free to live their lives. The pitch-black muta used his telekinetic powers to raise the castle's gate, making their entrance with a loud clang.

He threw his cape outward, puffed out his chest, and put on a straight face as he began to strut forward. Then, his sister playfully pulled his hood over his face. " _Seriously?!_ " He snarled as he fixed it. "What are you; _twelve?_ "

"What are _you;_ the _fun police?_ " Jadestar held her stomach from the laughter as her twin rolled his eyes. They truly were complete polar opposites. However either one of them would give their life to protect the other, and returning to Markovia made them stick closer together.

When they were only ten years of age, a civil war had broken out in their home country. The militants from the East had been buying their weapons from a third party and held no compunctions about using them on civilian-populated areas. The foster home that the twins lived in was destroyed by one bomb that buried them in the rubble, leaving them just enough space to see a second bomb with two words painted on it: Jordan Inc.

They waited for two days for Tony Jordan to kill them before the radiation that leaked from it finally activated their dormant muta-genes. They were rescued and ultimately imprisoned by the local government until they were saved by Deathgrip. Now, they had a chance to bring about the survival of all muta-humankind, and they would not waste it.

They entered the throne room, taking notice of the cloaked figure holding the scepter. Darkstar's eyes narrowed as he tried to use the shadows to reach inside of this person's mind. "Your master sent us to you. You _have something_ that our _employers need_. Give it to us _willingly_ and no one gets-"

 _["Did you know that_ before _the rule of King Brian the Third, this castle was once a_ monastery _?"]_ The voice made both mutas shiver. _["Before the city was expanded upon, the elders decreed that this place be built in the center of it so that everyone could be_ equally close _to God… Hmm, I_ like that _about you organic beings; the_ geography _of your beliefs."]_

Jadestar and her brother looked at each other, curiously. Suddenly, the figure stood up, causing both of them to stumble backwards in shock. The man was composed of green metal that was shaped like human flesh. It wore a suit of glistening silver armor with three magenta circles on its chest. And a golden helm rested on its head with curved horns that covered its cheeks.

 _["As you've probably guessed by now, I am Ultriac-5."]_ It spoke again. _["My master and I have traveled to approximately one-point-six-two million worlds before reaching yours. He has dedicated the use of his superior intellect to improve this universe of all its flaws. He does so by sending_ me _to find the most plausible government the world currently has, and points it in the right direction."]_

"What exactly do you mean by _'flaws?'_ " Jadestar asked, cautiously.

 _["Everyone creates the thing they dread…"]_ Ultriac-5 stepped down from the throne and carefully made his way towards his guests. _["Men of_ peace _create weapons of_ war _._ Superheroes _create_ supervillains _._ People _create…_ smaller _people? Uh…_ children! _"]_ He snapped his fingers, chuckling at his mistake. _["I lost the word there! Any who… I humbly grant your Baron Zero the use of this scepter. For my master tells me that only H.I.D.R.A. can achieve peace on this planet. And stop_ anyone _who stands in the way of that goal."]_

"You're going to help us _destroy_ the Justice Legion?" Jadestar tried not to sound surprised.

 _["I'm going to help you_ save _your planet."]_ Ultriac-5 pondered for a moment. _["But also…_ yeah. _"]_

Darkstar took off his hood, drinking in the handsome form that the robot had taken. He extended his hand with a smirk on his face. "I'm Todd Maximoff. This is my sister, Jenny-Lynn. Welcome to _H.I.D.R.A._ "

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Col. John Rhodes aka Green Machine(War Machine/John Stewart)**

 **Darkstar aka Todd Maximoff(Scarlet Witch/Northstar/Obsidian)**

 **Jadestar aka Jenny-Lynn Maximoff(Quicksilver/Aurora/Jade)**


	54. Age of Ultriac part 3

**Hey guys! I am so sorry that it took so long to update, but I can explain: My laptop broke and I had to get a new one. With it, I lost all of my chapters, so I now have to retype all of them. Additionally, I've started classes with my Local Union to become a plumber, so these chapters will appear less frequently. But, the show must go on!**

* * *

 **Chapter XXI: Age of Ultriac! Part 3**

 **Enroute to Berlin, Germany**

"How can you look like a human?" Jadestar asked her new companion. One hour ago, she and her brother met a robotic figure named Ultriac-5 who claimed to be a servant of a sentient alien program. Tasked with improving the universe, his master ordered him to make contact with the only government that could help bring peace to its home planet. Now, the trio were heading back to H.I.D.R.A. in Berlin. But during that time, Jennifer-Lynn had grown bored, hence the question.

 _["Well, it's very simple, Jenny-Lynn…"]_ Ultriac-5 began. _["In order to make my master's negotiations go smoothly, I am programmed to use whatever resources are available to me to forge a body that resembles the dominant species of that planet. Down to most_ infinitesimal _detail."]_

"Did you make yourself a dick?" Jenny asked, earning a slap upside the head. "Ow! What was that for?!"

"You can't just ask a question like that!" Tod snapped. He was growing tired of having to deal with his twin's obnoxious tendencies.

 _["Aheh, it's_ alright _, Tod. I don't mind."]_ Ultriac-5 soothed his friend's temper. _["To answer your question, Jenny-Lynn;_ yes _, I have a penis."]_

"Ha!" She boasted, pointing a taunting finger at her brother.

 _["I also have_ organs _,_ pores _,_ veins _, and a whole lot of_ other _synthetic stuff."]_ Ultriac-5 continued. _["Now, if you don't mind telling me, what are those_ markings _on your hands?"]_

The duel mutas glanced down at their palms. On Darkstar's right hand, there was a green six-pronged star; and on Jadestar's left hand, there was a black crescent moon. "They're _birthmarks_." They answered in unison. In reality, the marks had appeared shortly after their muta-genes activated. Ironically, the marks represented each other's powers instead of their own.

At last, they arrived at their destination. The agents and scientists of H.I.D.R.A. gaped at the site of the green-skinned humanoid in glistening armor. The only man in the hidden facility that was visibly unfazed was Baron Zero, himself. _["Sub-program, designation: Ultriac-5, has returned."]_ Ultriac stated in a monotone voice.

 _["Hello, dad!"]_ Ultriac-5 waved, enthusiastically, at the alien computer system that had taken up half of the lab. If he could blush, his face would have been burning red at the sight of perplexed faces. _["Sorry, for that… I'm afraid that in order to intermingle with your society I have integrated my software with, what you humans call, 'the inter-web.'"]_

"Well, Ultriac-5, I would like to know exactly _how_ you expect to help H.I.D.R.A. bring peace to this damaged world."

 _["You must be the infamous,_ Baron Zero… _"]_ Ultriac-5 pointed to the parka-clad commander. _["Well, let me answer that question_ with _a question: what if I told you I could bend the Flag's will to_ your command? _"]_

"...go on." Zero's eyebrow rose with interest.

 _["I_ thought _that would get your attention."]_ The living machine smiled. _["During our earlier travels throughout the cosmos, my master and I stumbled upon an alien race known as the_ Dominators _. They had developed a device that could broadcast a frequency that could manipulate the brainwaves of their enemies."]_

"You mean… _mind control?_ " Dr. Grodd sounded highly intrigued.

 _["Well, there is just_ one, small problem _. In order for the process to be one-hundred percent applicable, the subject's mind must first be put into a_ trance _."]_ Ultriac-5 placed his hand on Darkstar's shoulder. _["That's where_ this man _comes in. His power over the darkness stems from his mastery over his own_ inner demons. _The devices will grant you control over the Justice Legion of Avengers, but not before_ he _forces them to face their_ own _demons."]_

"And _after_ we have the Avengers under our control?" Zero wanted to know the robot's entire plan.

 _["We will use them to build a device that will expand the frequency around the_ world _. Ending all global hostilities and making it_ that much easier _to bring peace and tranquility to the planet Earth."]_

The scientists of H.I.D.R.A. crowded around Ultriac and its scout, bombarding them with endless questions. But while everyone else was preoccupied with the newcomers, Baron Zero took advantage of the distraction to move towards a secluded hallway. Standing in the shadows, waiting to deliver a briefing, was Commander Blizardkrieg. ("Did you do as instructed?")

("Yes, my Baron." Helmut bowed his head in respect. "I followed them from behind the entire trip, maintaining a safe distance between us to prevent myself from being detected. I used my radio to listen in on their every word.")

("And?") His father went on. ("Do we have any reason to believe this machine will act against us?")

("They did not say anything to suggest so. In my humble opinion, I believe we should at least give it the benefit of the doubt.")

"Very well." Zemo conceited and made his way back to Ultriac-5. "One more question… how are we supposed to use this against the Justice Legion?"

 _["By drawing them out with_ phase one _of our plan."]_ Ultriac-5 smiled as he extended his hand outward. A bright, magenta light flickered out from his palm, displaying a stupefying image of a large machine.

* * *

 **JLA Headquarters, New York**

The Justice Legion were still recovering from their recent defeat as they surveyed the damage down to Jordan's Tower. Green Machine and the West Coast League had returned to Oregon to see what they could do about the situation, while Matt and Tony tried to trace Ultriac-5 through the tower's computer systems. Just then, Thunder Woman, Hyperman, and Firehawk flew through the balcony window.

"The trail went cold half a mile out." Hyperman reported, gravely. "Not even my hyper-vision could see where that thing was heading."

"We need to find it as soon as possible." Flag ordered. "There's no telling what kind of damage it can do."

"How do we know it wants to cause _any_ damage?" Speedster-Man's comment earned him several sour looks. "What? The way he spoke to us? It sounded like he wanted to _protect_ the world."

"He also said he _killed_ someone." Dare added.

"We've checked the surveillance footage and _rechecked_ them." Col. Hill replied. "There was no one else in the building when that thing came online."

" _Yes_ , there _was_." Tony corrected. The armored avenger held out his ring, creating a hologram of his oldest program. Aya's systems were corrupted beyond repair, this explained why she wouldn't respond to Jordan earlier.

"This doesn't make any sense." Prof. Selvig said as he examined Aya.

"Of course, it _does_." Matt stated. "Aya is one of the most advanced A.I.s on the planet. This Ultriac-5 must have seen her as a threat and strategically took her out of the equation."

"No…" Selvig corrected. "Ultriac-5 could have _assimilated_ Aya. _This_ … this isn't _strategy_. This is _rage_."

Tony tried to say something, but he soon found himself hoisted into the air by Diana's strong arm. "Whoa! Whoa! Use your _words_ big girl!" He choked.

"Oh, I have _more_ than enough words for _you_ , Jordan." Diana spoke with pure venom. "I gave you only _two days_ to use the scepter and yet you _still_ managed to make me regret it!"

"Diana!" Flag tried to calm her down. "We need to keep a cool head." Diana reluctantly let Tony drop down to the floor, who then proceeded to gasp for air. When he finally stood back up, however, he was soon confronted by the rest of his teammates.

"What?" He shrugged. "What?! Okay, _fine_. I admit it… I created that thing to act as a _peacekeeping_ program, but I _never_ expected anything like _this!_ "

"Why weren't we informed that you were doing this?" Gargoyle interrogated. "When we formed this team under S.H.I.E.L.D., we agreed to share all missions and projects with each other."

"Except that this _wasn't_ relevant to the Justice Legion!" Tony defended himself. "Guys, look, we can fight bad guys and save the world all the _livelong day_. But what about when we're _gone?_ "

"I thought that's what _we_ were for?" Marvelgirl crossed her arms.

"We can talk about this _later_." Flag ordered. " _Right now_ , we need to find Ultriac-5. Gargoyle, do you have any ideas as to how we can track him?"

"We're completely locked out of the systems." Matt answered. "Fortunately, S.H.I.E.L.D. prints out their files in case of such events. Seeing as how H.I.D.R.A. had more of the alien technology that Ultriac originated from, it's safe to assume it will attempt to seek them out. If we can find anyone who can link us to H.I.D.R.A. we might be able to find this thing."

For the next few hours, Col. Hill had every agent available bringing in personal files on all individuals who had allegedly been connected to H.I.D.R.A. at some point. At last, "Hey, wait, I _know_ this guy." Tony called his allies over to him. "His name's _Winslow Klaw_. Weapons dealer. I busted him a few years ago. Apparently he claimed to have a stockpile of some rare substance from a sovereign nation in Africa."

"What country?" Ronnie asked.

"Uh… _Wakanda_ , I think." Tony noticed Steve's skin turning ghostly white at the sound of that word. "Cap? You okay?"

"In 1939, President Roosevelt went on a diplomatic mission to Wakanda to ensure they wouldn't take part in the war." Flag glossed over Klaw's file as he spoke. "When Wakanda's king agreed not to go to war with America, he offered Roosevelt a sample of their most _prized resource_ as a token of peace."

"What was the resource?" Bart asked, nervously.

Steve glanced over at his shield with a dreadful look in his eyes. "Diana, Kent, you guys come with me. The rest of you _stay here_ unless we call you." He said, omminously. "We need to get to Klaw. _Fast_."

* * *

 **Iguazu Falls, Brazil. Winslow Klaw's shop**

"Well, I don't _care_ if it came in two days after I said it'd be there! You still _got it_ , didn't you! Exactly! So stop complaining and have my money sent to me by the end of the week, or else I'll be sending you _another_ missile, much _quicker!_ "

Winslow sighed heavily as he hung up the phone. The Justice Legion's continued existence made it almost impossible for his business to stay afloat. But as he wallowed in self-pity, playing with his model trains and automobiles, the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood up on end. He reached for his gun, but before he could fire, a gust of wind snatched it out of his hand.

Jadestar casually leaned against the arms dealer's desk, twiddling one of his bullets in between her fingers. Soon after, Darkstar and Blizardkrieg entered the room. The icy commander froze the door shut to make sure there would be no interruptions. Klaw couldn't help but smile.

"I never thought I'd see something so _spectacular_ in my life…" He laugh, lightly. "The _son_ of Baron Zero and Deathgrip's former _lackeys_ standing _right here_ in my office."

"We would like to make a _purchase_ , Mr. Klaw." Blizardkrieg interrupted. "You possess a sensitive material that our Baron needs. And we plan to _get it_." His fist clenched tight, and razor-sharp shards of ice protruded from his knuckles.

Klaw chuckled in a degrading tone. "I can see this is your first time _intimidating_ someone, frosty. Now, I have _business_ to attend to, and I _only ever speak_ to the man in _charge_."

Suddenly, something broke through the window in Klaw's office and threw him onto the ground. _["Well, the man in charge is_ busy _."]_ Ultriac-5 replied as he placed his foot over Winslow's chest. _["Now, about that material."]_

It didn't take long for Laser Master to teleport all of the vibranium into the laser dimension, safe for transport back to H.I.D.R.A. Blizardkrieg happily inspected the metal himself to check the quality. "Impressive." He smiled under his mask. "Not even my cryogenic powers can affect it."

 _["The most durable substance on the planet, and America's government used it to make a_ giant frisbee _."]_ Ultriac-5 mused.

"Um, you know, my friends…" Klaw rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortably, finally having gotten enough courage. "This came at a great _personal cost_ … It's worth _billions_."

Ultriac-5 chuckled as he closed his eyes. The luminescent symbol on his chest flashed rapidly until a 'ding' came from Klaw's pocket. _["And now, so are_ you _."]_ Winslow looked down at his phone with a broad smile as he checked his bank account. _["Of course, just to be_ safe _, you'll want to transfer that into your… '_ dummy _holdings?' Finances are so weird. But then again, it's like I always say; keep your friends rich, your enemies rich, and wait to find out which is which."]_

Klaw's smile disappeared as he looked up at the metal man. "Jordan." He said.

 _["...what?"]_ Now, Ultriac-5 was frowning,

"Tony Jordan said that once. To _me_. You're one of _his_."

 _["WHAT?!"]_ The alien programing grabbed Winslow's wrist in a vice grip, startling everyone gathered. He didn't like being compared to the man who sought to turn him into a slave. _["I am_ not- _that is the most absurd thing I've heard all day! Do I look like_ Emerald Man _to you?! JORDAN IS NOTHING!"]_ With one swift motion, Ultriac-5 ripped Klaw's entire left arm out of its socket. _["Oh, my god! Oooh! Okay, uh, don't worry, you're gonna be fine. Just-I just don't_ understand _… don't_ compare me _to JORDAN!"]_ And he kicked the newly disabled arms dealer down a flight of stairs.

"That's _enough_." Everyone turned to see the three most famous members of the JLA. The Flag took point, keeping his shield ready for conflict.

"You have no place here, Flag…" Helmut's icy voice sent a familiar shiver through his body. "I swear on my mother's grave, you will pay for what you've done to my father." Blizardkrieg ordered his squad of renegades back to H.I.D.R.A. while he and the others dealt with the heroes. Clapping his hands together, Blizardkrieg created a broadsword out of solid ice and pointed it, menacingly at Flag. "Shall we begin?"

Meanwhile, in a humble marketplace just a few miles away from the fight, a man with shining red hair was making his daily rounds. His basket was filled with blueberries, spinach, tomatoes, walnuts, avocados, and other foods that would help speed up the restoration of his lost memories.

("Oh, Walter! Did you see it?")

("See what, Mrs. Tahiki?")

("Three members of the Justice Legion just flew over here and headed to the shipyard!")

("The Justice Legion?")

("Yes! I think that _fast_ _American_ one you keep talking about was one of them!")

("Steve…") Wally breathed, nervously. Dropping his basket on the ground, he ignored the woman's cries of concern as he made his way out of the crowd. Once he knew no one could see him, Wally Barnes rushed to the shipyard at full-speed. _"I'm coming, Steve."_ He thought to himself.

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Winslow Klaw(Ulysses Klaw/Toyman)**


	55. Age of Ultriac part 4

**Chapter XXI: Age of Ultriac! Part 4**

 _ **London, England. September 4, 1942**_

" _Is he really gonna be here?" Kid-Flag paced around the room, nervously tugging on his gloves._

"Yes _, Kid." Flag chuckled as he read the newspaper. "Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin wanted us to meet here to discuss our usefulness in the war. Now, will you, please,_ sit still? _"_

 _Suddenly, the crowd outside of British courthouse erupted into a deafening applause. Kid-Flag was now bouncing up and down in excitement. As soon as the palace doors had closed, Wally just stared in awe at the man with a bright red 'H' on his chest. "Wow…" He breathed. "You really_ do _know him!"_

" _You must be_ Kid-Flag _." Hyperman smiled, brightly. "I hear you're very_ brave _."_

" _Oh, my God…" Wally could barely form a coherent thought. "He knows my_ name _…"_

" _Good to see you again, pal." Steve got up and patted his former rival on the shoulder._

" _You too. How's the leg?"_

" _Eh, not bad. How's the_ face? _"_

" _Excuse me, gentlemen?" Phineas Scott, inventor of the Human Lantern android, stepped out into the grand hallway. "They have made their decision." The trio made their way into the courtroom where they were greeted by the Human Lantern, himself, and Aqua the Sub-Mariner, King of Atlantis. The room fell silent as the five superheroes stood before the leaders of the Allied Forces. Stalin spoke first._

" _Gentlemen… your_ highness _…" Russia's leader showed only a glimpse of hostility in his voice as he spoke to the Sub-Mariner. "My comrades and I have come to the conclusion that you may all be our best hope of ending the war."_

" _It is a_ miracle _that we have been able to hold our own for this long." Churchill continued. "Even with America's help, we are_ losing _support from the French government. And now, we even have word that Hitler has some kind of_ super-assassin _who is just as fast as_ you _, Flag."_

" _Which is why," Roosevelt finished. "We want_ all of you _to help our forces defeat the Axis Powers. As a special strike force to invade the Axis-occupied countries and liberate them."_

 _That was the day the Justice Society of Invaders came to be._

* * *

 **Iguazu Falls, Brazil. Present Day.**

The Flag's mind was able to process information at a much quicker rate than the average human. This often helped with his investigative cases in the Justice Society of Invaders and later the JLA. It was this gift that helped him solve missing persons cases and rescue kidnapped children when he rushed back to America during war time. But after seeing this young man in a purple, skin-tight thermal suit, even his super-fast brain could hardly handle the shocking input; Baron Zero had a son.

"Look, kid, I don't know what kind of lies your father has told you, but you're on the wrong side of this."

"How _dare_ you say that?!" Helmut snapped. "My father is going to bring _peace_ to this God-forsaken world!"

"If _peace_ is what you desire, young one, then you can do so without _harming_ innocents." Thunder Woman stated, calmly.

 _["I think you're confusing_ peace _with_ quiet _."]_ Ultriac-5 resputed.

"He's _right_." Jadestar added. "You people _act_ like heroes, saving the world of _adoring masses_ , but you don't really give a _damn_ about helping _individuals._ "

"That's not _true_." Hyperman tried. "We've _always_ cared about the wellbeing of everyone."

 _["Oh,_ please _…"]_ Ultriac-5 groaned. _["Look at_ Hyperman _… the Man of Might… pretending you're actually_ human _underneath all that solar-fueled muscle. Do you_ honestly _think your parents would be_ proud _of you right now? The last of the great Radonian race-a_ god _among men-clinging to a tired, old_ farm. _"]_ Kent's eyes glowed brightly as the robot goaded. _["I can't_ physically _throw up in my mouth, but_ you people _actually make me wish I_ could _."]_

"Enough of this _senseless chatter!_ " Thunder Woman's voice bellowed. "Why have you come to pillage this begotten dwelling of its supplies?!"

 _["Oh, I'm just_ so glad _you asked because we wanted to explain our_ master plan _."]_ Ultriac-5 chortled before firing at the trio with a magenta laser. Hyperman acted quickly, blocking the laser with his body so his friends wouldn't be hurt. The muta twins took that as their cue to attack. While Jadestar and Blizardkrieg went after Thunder Woman and Flag, Darkstar faded into the shadows, waiting to strike.

As they fought, Winslow's men burst into the room and helped him to his feet. But before they could take him to a hospital, he gave one final order. "Shoot them…"

"Which ones?"

" _ALL_ OF THEM!" He roared. Flag and Blizardkrieg ended their fight just in time to dodge the bullets. Helmut bombarded his attackers with piercing icicles and lethal frost. With bullets ricocheting off of his shield, Steve rushed at the mercenaries with little restraint.

"Missed me!" Jadestar taunted as she whisked around the Goddess of Thunder, swerving out of the way of her thunderbolts. At last, Thunder Woman lost patience and threw her hammer at the swift muta. Jadestar smirked as time slowed down around her. Once she stepped out of the hammer's path, she gingerly wrapped her fingers around the hilt, only to have it pull her straight through a wall.

Hyperman's heat-vision was holding back Ultriac-5's laser beams to a stalemate. Suddenly, he ducked out of the way, and tackled the armored machine with all of his strength. With his foe pinned, Hyperman ripped off his helmet and proceeded to bash his head in. _["I get the feeling I touched a raw nerve."]_ Ultriac-5 laughed softly, completely unfazed by Hyperman's attack. _["NOW!"]_

Darkstar wrapped his arms around Hyperman's neck. A black mist slipped through his lips and into his prey's ear. Kent's pupils dilated as the dark spell wrapped around his psyche, reaching into the darkest corners of his mind, and bringing his worst memories back to the surface. He stumbled off of Ultriac-5, gripping the sides of his head in a vain attempt to drive the black magic out of his brain. Ultriac-5 took advantage of his distraction and planted the mind-control device onto his forehead.

Flag was blocking Blizardkrieg's icy blasts when he saw Kent fall to his knees. Pushing forward, he knocked Snart to the ground and rushed over to his oldest friend. Darkstar lunged out of the way just in time. "What the hell did you _do_ to him?!"

A robotic arm delivered a powerful blow to his knee, forcing him to kneel before the black muta-human. _["The same thing we're going to do to_ you _."]_ After Tod sent more black smoke into Steve's nostrils, Jenny zipped in between them to plant another control implant on his forehead.

"You're getting _slow_ , old man!" She laughed.

"My friends!" Diana gasped. She swung her hammer, rapidly, preparing to fly up to the villains. But before her feet could leave the ground, a red-haired man with green eyes shifted through the wall. Diana's face twisted in confusion. "Who the-"

"-hell are _you?_ " Wally finished.

Diana pushed him aside just as Darkstar swooped down at them. The muta-human sorcerer had caught her off-guard, making her drop Mjolnir. Diana tried to break free from his grip, but his cloak wrapped around her body like solid darkness. "How about a _kiss_ , foxy mama?" He chuckled as he forcefully smashed his pursed lips against her mouth. At last, Diana broke free from his clutches and knocked him to the ground. Upon seeing her friends in need, Thunder Woman tapped the communicator in her ear.

"Emerald Man! Gargoyle! Hyperman and Flag are down! I need help!"

"What?" Tony sounded shocked as he and Matt made their way to the hangar. "What do you mean they're ' _down_ '?"

"Ultriac-5 is collaborating with two muta-humans. One of them appears to have placed them under a hypnotic spell. He tried to do the same to my mind but, fortunately, I am _mighty_." As soon as Diana stopped speaking, she saw a warped vision of Asgard in ruins. She tried to tell herself that it was all an illusion, but it felt so real. Asgardians and Amazons at war with the Olympians, friends and family dead at her feet, and Circi siding with Zeus' army.

* * *

Wally rubbed his head to ease the throbbing in his skull. _"Did she have to push me_ that _hard?"_ He thought to himself. As he pulled himself up to his feet, Darkstar shifted out of the shadows. The dark muta grinned wickedly; if he could give H.I.D.R.A. control over the Winter Speedster again, he'd be set for life. With every step, his cloak grew wider, ready to grab the Speedster if he tried to escape. He opened his mouth again…

… And Wally spun around, quickly, vibrating his arm through his chest. Tod's entire body shook violently as the Speed Force energy electrocuted him from head-to-toe. When Wally retracted his arm, Tod smiled goofily as his costume smoked. "Mommy… my _choo-choo_ went swimming in the _piano,_ again…" And then he collapsed, face-first, onto the ground.

"Sorry, kid…" Wally brushed his shoulder gently. "I've already done the whole _mind-control_ thing. Safe to say, I'm not a _fan_."

Jadestar slammed her shoulder into Wally's chest, sending him flying across the room. "You _bastard!_ " She shouted, and scooped her brother into her arms before dashing off.

"Yeah, you _better run_ , bitch…" His pride hurt more than his body. Just then, he saw the three heroes leaving the building. He rushed outside to see that they were attacking a nearby town. "No!" He dashed towards them as fast as he could, leaving a trail of lightning in his wake. "Steve! Stop! Listen to me! It's _me_ , Wally!" He tried to snap his mentor out of the trance, but it was no use; Flag continued to ransack the town.

Looking up, Wally saw Hyperman burning the market square with his heat-vision. "Kent!" He shouted. "This isn't _you!_ You've gotta _stop_ this!" But it was no use, Hyperman pushed him aside and continued to burn the rest of the small town. Wally decided to focus on saving the civilians. He rushed to get people to safety before he slipped on a large patch of ice.

"Ah-ha!" Wally leapt onto his feet see Blizardkrieg pointing his frozen blade at him. "The Winter Speedster! My father shall be very _pleased_ once I bring him your head! Let us _fight!_ "

"Why are you _doing this?_ " Wally asked with a desperate tone.

"Because it is not _sporting_ to attack an unready opponent." Helmut responded, politely.

"No, I meant why are you destroying people's homes for _no reason_ other than to prove you can _control_ someone?"

"Um... " Helmut's confidence suddenly disappeared at the unexpected question. Obviously, he had killed others in the past, but only because they posed a threat to H.I.D.R.A. and its plan. But the people in the city had never done anything to deserve the destruction they had just suffered; they were innocent. Without taking his eyes off of Wally, Helmut replied. "Because… it is a _precursor_ to the _security_ we will bring to the world."

"Do _they_ look secure to you?" Wally motioned to the people he'd saved from the JLA's carnage.

"I-I…" Helmut could see the fear in their eyes as they huddled away from him. He looked down at his arms, letting the ice melt away. He couldn't speak.

"This isn't _safety_." Wally snapped. "It's _wrong!_ And if that _costume_ you're wearing is any indication of who you're working for, something tells me you don't even _know it!_ "

Before Helmut could respond, Scudder blasted the former sleeper agent with a solid light blast. "C'mon, boss! We're burning daylight!" Helmut looked at the speedster one final time before entering the laser dimension, followed by Ultriac-5, Jadestar, and Darkstar.

When they arrived back at H.I.D.R.A., the group was given a hero's welcome. Jenny laid her brother on the ground, rushed to the facilities kitchen, grabbed a glass of water, rushed back, and poured it on Tod's face. Coughing and spluttering, the dark muta woke up.

"Good morning, sunshine." Jenny giggled as she knelt down to her brother.

"Get _off_ me!" He snapped and brushed himself off

"I was just trying to _help!_ " Jenny sounded hurt.

" _Yeah_ , I'll _bet_." Tod muttered.

"Black _bonehead_."

"Green _goonie_."

"Pansexual _prick_."

"Autistic _asshole_."

As they argued, they noticed everyone decided to ignore their bickering and focus on the others. Once again, their plan did this every time they got too close to showing their love for each other in public. Tod nodded at his sister, thanking her for saving him.

("Well _done_ , Helmut!") Zemo wrapped his son in a firm hug and lead him away from the crowd. ("You have now given us the means to seizing _absolute control_ of this world! And once we have it, we will _undo_ the damage that its governments have inflicted! Only a _true_ Zemo could be capable of…") Leonard stopped talking when he saw his son looking at the ground. ("Something… _troubles_ you?")

("I attacked the Winter Speedster, father.") Helmut took off his mask to look his father in the eyes. ("He… he said our methods are… _wrong_.")

("He is trying to cloud your _judgement_ , Helmut.") Leonard gripped his shoulders,firmly. ("We are on the verge of bringing _complete world security_. How could such a philosophy be _wrong?_ ")

("But… the people being _attacked_ by the Justice Legion? Are they not _innocent?_ ")

("A necessary _sacrifice_. _Acceptable losses_.") Leonard reassured him. ("Now, I suggest you get some _rest_. You've had a busy day. Tomorrow is a _new day_.") As he walked back to the command room to speak with Ultriac, he looked back to see his son still lamenting on the Speedster's words. ("That's an _order_.") He said firmly.

"Y-yes, my Baron." Helmut replied, and moved, cautiously, to his quarters.

 _["Vibranium; obtained. Operation; underway."]_ Ultriac's monotone voice echoed throughout the building. The supercomputer's sub-program stepped forward to greet Baron Zero.

"What happens now?" Zero asked.

 _["Eternal Ultriac will use the vibranium we've collected to build the machine."]_ The suave robot explained. _["Now, it's_ bigger _than what I showed you on the hologram, which is why my master wishes to build it underneath your former headquarters in Markovia._ With _your permission, of course."]_

Zero nodded. "Surely, it will take _time_ to build this device."

 _["Already taken care of. While my master has been sharing our discoveries with you, he has also been building an army of drones all over the world. They will be sent directly to Markovia and have the machine ready in just_ two days _."]_

"I don't know how to _repay_ you, my friend." Zero smiled under his mask.

 _["Funny you should_ say that _."]_ Ultriac-5 answered. _["While I was plugged into the web, I discovered something that could be_ very _valuable to me. May I borrow the_ twins _for a few hours, my Baron?"]_

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Brazil, Emerald Man and Gargoyle saw the devastation up ahead. While Tony exited the jet, Gargoyle put it on auto-pilot and prepared the special armor he designed for this scenario. After Aya's unfortunate demise, Tony had uploaded his back-up A.I.

"Friday?"

 _["Yes, Mr. Jordan?"]_ The feminine voice chirped.

"Gimme the Hyper-Buster armor." At that command, the Jordan satellite in orbit locked onto his coordinates and sent the package directly to him. Hyperman, Flag, and Thunder Woman continued to destroy the area with no restraint, helpless against the alien mind-control. Wally was having a hard time catching his breath as he ran around to keep people out of harm's way.

But just when he thought all hope was lost, two men in bulky armor landed in front of the raging heroes.

"Alright, everybody, _stand down!_ " Emerald Man ordered.

"This day just keeps getting _better_." Wally muttered to himself.

 **To Be Continued!**


	56. Age of Ultriac part 5

**Chapter XXI: Age of Ultriac! Part 5**

 _Steve walked, cautiously, through the mist forest, unaware of how he got there. No matter which way he went, he could see nothing but trees, rocks, and shadows. "Hyperman, are you there?" He tried into his earpiece. "Kent, I can't_ see _anything, where are you?" Then he called his other partner. "Thunder Woman, do you read?_ Dina _, can you hear me?" But still, there was no response. Steve decided to try running, going faster and faster until he saw something._

 _Suddenly, he heard a soft cry coming from the distance. His pace started to slow down, letting the heels of his boots skid on the ground. He made his way to the source of the sound, thinking that if he found that person, he could find a way out of there. "Why…?"_

 _Steve stopped, dead in his tracks. Lying on the ground, burying his face in his palms as tears of pain ran down his cheeks, was the seventeen-year-old boy, once known as Kid-Flag. His leg had been blown off by the explosion, and he was bleeding uncontrollably. "Why didn't you_ find _me?"_

 _Steve's lips trembled as he tried to speak. "Wally, I didn't know-"_

" _You_ promised _me…" Wally looked up at his mentor. "You said you would_ be there _for me… 'til the_ end _of the_ finish line _…"_

" _Wally,_ please, _I thought you were-"_

" _You_ broke _your promise... " Wally's words hurt Steve more than any villain ever could. "You_ left me _for_ dead _… let Stalin_ take me _... do you have_ any idea _what I've_ become?! _" A flash of blue lightning struck the wounded child, prompting Steve to cover his eyes. When he looked again, Wally was now back as the Winter Speedster, complete with the metal leg. The super-soldier stepped back in fear before Wally revealed an AK-47 from behind his back and blew his shield-wielding arm off. "You did this to me… and you're going to_ pay _."_

 _Steve didn't try to argue any further; he knew he was right._

 _(...)_

 _Kent was very confused. Just a moment ago, he had Ultriac-5 pinned to the ground, beating him senseless with his hyper-powerful fists. But then, a black mist had apparently taken him to a dark place. At first, he thought he was in space, but there were no stars in the distance, nor was there any vacuum straining his muscles._

 _Suddenly, the blackness disappeared to reveal a clear, blue sky over the Heartland. The deafening wail of a fire truck's siren made his ears hurt. Using his telescopic vision once again, he gasped when he saw the source of the emergency. Kent shot down to the ground, flying as fast as he could to the accident. He landed on the ground with a powerful stomp that shattered the road's pavement like glass in a window. He used his hyper-breath to blow away the cackling flames, tore the wrecked vehicle's door off with little effort, and gently carried the bodies out of the pickup._

 _Jonathan and Nora Kent. The kindest, most caring people whom God had set on Earth's soil. The couple who found an infant boy, crying in a spaceship that landed in their cornfield, and took it upon themselves to raise him as their own. The couple who were just heading into town when a reckless driver had hit them._

" _Ma…? Pa…?" His hyper-hearing didn't pick up any inkling of a heartbeat coming from either of them. Kent had relived this horrible memory many times throughout his life, but this felt so real. The sight of the man and woman he'd known as his parents, motionless and lifeless._

 _Kent Milton. Kal-Ran. Hyperman. Faster than a speeding laser beam. More powerful than a nuclear warhead. Able to leap out of a planet's atmosphere in a single bound. None of that mattered to him if he couldn't save the people who meant the most to him._

 _The bodies dissolved in his hold, not leaving a trace, and the last son of Radon was alone again. But that was only the beginning of his suffering. Everyone he loved would grow old and die while he was cursed to remain forever young. This was his worst nightmare; his purgatory; his hell._

 _(...)_

 _Diana stumbled aimlessly through the ruins that were once Asgard. As her eyes shone from the tears being held back, she came to the broken thrones of her parents. The shining paradise that was once full of happy noblemen, women, and children, was now a burning wasteland. The stench of death burned Diana's nose as she continued to shift through the rubble._

 _Suddenly, a triumphant chant was heard in the distance. Diana froze in position as the chant grew louder. The Olympians, longtime rivals of the Asgardians were destroying what was left of her home. Zeus, himself, wore her father's crown like a trophy to appease his never-ending vanity. Ares and his brothers had trapped some of the women in cages, as if they were savage animals, most likely to use them for their own selfish purposes. At the same time, Athena and her sisters were executing all of the men and children that had survived the initial onslaught._

 _But what disturbed the Goddess of Thunder the most was the sight of Major John Foster, the only mortal she had come to love with all her heart, being impaled by the blade of Eros, Ares' firstborn child. The humans had thought him to be a god of love because he was also the son of Aphrodite. But that was a lie. Eros was just as violent and wicked as his cruel father, if not more-so._

" _How could this_ happen? _" She thought to herself._

" _Because you_ let it _happen, sister!" Diana turned to see Nubia, the Amazonian Goddess of Protection. She was often seen with her adoptive brother Heimdall, the Asgardian protector of the Rainbow Bridge, together they would foresee any threat to Asgard and stopped it before it happened. But the Bridge was shattered and Nubia's watchful eyes were dimmed with blindness._

 _The ruined kingdom started to crumble away, and Diana saw six colorful rings flying through the vast emptiness of space before being conjoined onto a gilded gauntlet. The last thing she saw before the nightmare restarted, was a pair of ominous red eyes piercing her soul. What did all of this mean?_

 _(...)_

* * *

 **H.I.D.R.A. headquarters. Berlin, Germany.**

"What am I looking at?" Zemo asked with excited curiosity as he gazed at the images on Darkstar's cloak.

"It's the spell I placed on the JLA, Baron Zero." Darkstar explained. "Ultriac-5 said he needed something to put them in a daze so that the mind-control device wouldn't have any trouble. My spell is forcing them to see what they fear the most." The muta sorcerer's eyes narrowed at the image of Thunder Woman. While Flag and Hyperman's visions felt like bad dreams or horrible memories, her's seemed more like one of his premonitions.

 _["Come along, Tod."]_ Ultriac-5 called to his friend. _["Baron Zero has allowed you and your sister to accompany me on my little side-quest."]_ Tod respectfully bowed to H.I.D.R.A.'s leader and made his way towards the hangar with them.

"May I come with you?" A voice called. The trio was surprised to see it was Blizardkrieg who asked.

"Didn't your dad tell you to get some rest?" Jenny-Lynn crossed her arms.

"And I _did_. _Now_ , I would like to do something _productive_. It's not a _problem,_ is it?" Truthfully, Helmut needed an excuse to get away from the facility for a while. He was still confused about what the Winter Speedster had said to him.

 _["I suppose_ not _."]_ Ultriac-5 shrugged, and motioned his hand for Blizardkrieg to follow.

"So where are we going?" Jadestar asked as they boarded the jet.

 _["Tell me, Jennifer-Lynn; have you ever been to_ Poland _before?"]_

* * *

 **Meanwhile, back in Brazil.**

Matthew Wayne, better known by his peers as Gargoyle, had been preparing for this ever since the Justice Legion had been formed. His armor was built out of a flexible kevlar suit, with just enough patches of titanium alloy to provide strength and protection. His utility belt holstered two custom-built energy guns to protect himself from Hyperman and protect himself against Thunder Woman, he had smaller pieces of Nth metal built into the seams of the titanium.

Tony Jordan, on the other hand, had only been prepared one month ago. His armor was bigger and bulkier than Gargoyle's, standing at ten feet tall. The pieces came to him separately from a Jordan Industries satellite orbit that latched onto his immediate armor. The larger suit was activated by interfacing with the alien lantern that kept him alive, this meant he needed to use all of his willpower to successfully control it without hurting himself.

The two heroes faced their friends with a mixture of worry and remorse. They didn't want to hurt them, but they couldn't let the civilians get hurt. "Listen to me now, guys…" Tony tried. "That muta-wizard is _messing_ with your minds. You're _stronger_ than him. You're _smarter_ than him. You're the _Justice Legion of Avengers_."

The trio simply glared at them with an empty look in their eyes. Gargoyle deduced that they were completely unresponsive, and unable to understand them. "I guess we do this the _hard way_." He muttered and aimed one of his guns at Hyperman. He fired a capsule the size of a hand grenade, and the mind-controlled Radonian caught it before it made contact. But before he could dispose of it, a blinding red light flashed from all sides, bathing Hyperman in red solar energy.

Gargoyle didn't waste any more time; he fire his grappling gun at Hyperman's feet and slammed him into Thunder Woman. He turned to face the Flag, but was fit directly in the face by his shield. Fortunately, he reacted quickly, firing his other gun at him. The gun was loosely based off of the schematics of Baron Zero's cold-ray; it was strong enough to slow him down, but not do any real damage.

Hyperman and Thunder Woman recovered and readied for another attack. But this time, Emerald Man was prepared for them. His new armor had larger lenses in the palms, making his repulsor-blasts much more powerful. The blasts held the two strongest members back for a short time, but it didn't last. Thunder Woman's hammer knocked Tony's hand back, giving her a chance to deliver a devastating blow that tore off the larger armor's right arm.

"Ah!" Tony wasn't hurt, but he was growing more worried that he'd lost so much of his armor. Thinking quick, he grabbed Diana's waist and smacked her into Kent. "Friday, I'm gonna need another hand."

 _["On it, boss."]_ The new A.I. chirped.

The satellite sent more pieces to Tony's location just as Hyperman got up. Emerald Man kept him back with his left repulsor-ray long enough for his new arm to finish assembling. When it did, he and Hyperman swung their fists at each other and the collided to make a demolishing shockwave.

Meanwhile, Gargoyle was doing his best to keep up with the Flag. His suit was designed for strength, not speed. The cold-ray had slowed his opponent down, but he still had the upper hand; landing hundreds of strong punches on the titanium armor in the blink of an eye. At last, Gargoyle's sonar-vision managed to calculate his fight pattern, and he could finally defend himself properly.

He grasped the Flag's chest and flung him into a wall. But his victory didn't last long, Thunder Woman had taken Flag's place and was now bombarding Matt with a steady stream of thunderbolts.

Tony had managed to hold Hyperman down with one hand and began pounding his other fist into his face like a jackhammer. "Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep." He chanted to himself. But Kent managed to break on arm free and held onto Emerald Man's fist with a strong grip. Using his heat-vision, he managed to push the armored Avenger off of him so that he could get up.

Hyperman picked up Emerald Man and Thunder Woman picked up Gargoyle. Together, they slammed their oppressors together and continued to punch and strike until the armor was in shambles. But before either of them could deliver a killing blow, Ultriac-5, under the orders of Baron Zero, commanded them to head straight to H.I.D.R.A.'s headquarters.

When the trio was gone, Wally rushed over to the two Avengers to see if they were alright. "Don't try to move, I'm gonna help you." He told them as he took Tony's earpiece. "Hello? I have Emerald Man and Gargoyle in critical condition. Where can I take them so they can recover?"

"Who is this?" Fury's voice answered.

"This is the guy who's trying to _save_ their asses!" Wally wasn't in favor of wasting time.

* * *

 **Berlin, Germany. H.I.D.R.A. HQ**

Baron Zero paced around the Flag's frozen body. According to Ultriac-5, all three members of the JLA would obey his commands if he spoke firmly enough. This made the former Natzi scientist feel very satisfied. "You have no _idea_ how many times I've dreamed of this moment, Herr Flag…" He smiled, wickedly. "Kneel before me." But the Flag would not move, he was trying to resist the mind-control. Zero backhanded him across the face in anger. "I said _kneel!_ " he sneered.

At last, America's speeding champion dropped to one knee with both fists resting on the ground. " _That's_ better." Zemo smiled again. "Now, _who_ is your master?"

"Y-y- _you_ … are…" Flag choked out.

"Darkstar told me that there is a small part of you in there that is still aware of what is happening…" Zemo tilted Steve's chin up so he could look into his eyes. "If that _is_ the case, I just want you to know; I'm not going to _kill_ you. After what you did to me seventy years ago, _death_ would be too quick of a punishment for you. No… I will leave you alive _long enough_ for you to see your beloved country fall under the command of H.I.D.R.A. You will see _everyone_ you love suffer as _I_ have suffered! And then… once I have taken away _everything_ you care about, and you fully understand the _depths_ of your failure… _then_ , you have my permission to _die_."

 **To Be Continued!**


	57. Age of Ultriac part 6

**Please note: As this is a fanfiction involving drastic changes in the timeline, not everything will be historically accurate. I.E.: Pearl Harbor happened in 1940, so Steve Allen became The Flag in '41. Thank you, enjoy.**

 **Chapter XXI: Age of Ultriac! Part 6**

 _ **JSI Headquarters. Poland. January 3, 1943**_

" _Hey, Alan, can you gimme a hand?" Kid-Flag was struggling with a heavy box as he entered the bunker. The Invaders had decided to set up their hide-out near the first town they had liberated from the Nazis, keeping them close to their next target. That meant Wally had to help unload the supplies they'd need._

 _He dropped the box on the ground, looking around for the combustible hero he had just called for. He made his way around the entire bunker before he saw his friend holding a framed picture of Dr. Phineas Scott in his hand. "Uh, Alan? You okay?"_

["When will Dr. Scott come back?"] _Wally had heard that the Human Lantern was programmed to develop human emotions, meaning he would need certain concepts explained to him. One of those concepts was life and death._

" _Never." Wally replied._

["He _has_ to."] The android sounded desperate. ["I _need_ him. Without him, I do not know what my _purpose_ is. Why did he create me?"]

" _Look, I know this must be_ hard _for you, right now." Wally put a comforting hand on Alan's shoulder and the two sat down. "But I don't think Dr. Scott would've wanted you to be sad. I'll be here for you if you ever need me. And so will Flag and the others. I_ promise _."_

["Thank you, Wallace"] _Lantern smiled, softly, and awkwardly put his arms around the boy._ ["You are… a good friend."]

* * *

 **S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters. New York, NY.**

Matt and Tony were being handled in the infirmary while Wally explained what happened to Director Fury. As they spoke, they were unaware of the sixteen-year-old hero clinging to the wall outside. Bart Parker was skeptical when he heard the original Kid-Flag had returned, but when he saw him with his own eyes, he was at a complete loss for words.

"What are you doing?" Bart dropped off of the wall and landed with a thud. He looked up to see Thunder Woman's sister bending over him to see if he was hurt.

"Jeez, Donna!" He grumbled as he dusted himself off. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" If it had been anyone else, Bart's accelerated-vision would have warned him that they were sneaking up on him, but because of the close friendship he and the others shared, Donna hadn't registered as a threat. "I was just trying to-"

"-eavesdrop?" Bart and Donna froze in place at the sound of Wally's voice.

"C'mon, you little tykes." Fury ordered. "Follow me." Donna and Wally followed without hesitation, but Wally looked back to see Bart looking down at his feet angrily.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh?" Just like Steve, Wally towered over him. "Oh, just, uh… I'm gettin' kinda _tired_ of always being treated like a kid." Bart wasn't sure what he was expecting Wally's response to be, but a hand on the shoulder wasn't one of them.

"Does that happen often?"

"Yeah, kinda…" Bart rubbed his arm. "First of all, Steve won't teach me the advanced speed stuff unless I'm being eaten by an _alien_ _suit_. And _now_ , I can't be kept in the loop unless I'm _spying_."

"So _you're_ my replacement?" Wally crossed his arms over his chest.

"What? No! I-I could _never_ re-"

"Heh heh! _Relax_ , I'm just _teasing_." Wally chuckled. "Seriously, though, I can _empathize_. When I started learning how to use my powers, all he ever did was _boss me around_. And, I _know_ , it's hard not to take it _personally_. I mean, my freaking code-name was _Kid-Flag_. _But_...I never disobeyed an order. And that's probably what kept me _alive_."

"That was… pretty _inspiring_." Bart smiled.

"Hey, _seventy years_ of wisdom." The two shared a laugh and followed Fury to the command center. "So, if you're not _Kid-Flag_ , what _is_ your name?"

"Speedster-Man." The two speedsters stopped abruptly, and Wally looked down at his new friend with contempt.

"You're _shitting_ me."

At last, they reached the control room where the other proteges were waiting. Shortly afterwards, Tony and Matt came in, ignoring their doctor's pleas for bed rest. Luckily, Tony's armor managed to scan the mind-control devices that had plagued their friends. "What we're dealing with here is something _completely_ extraterrestrial. But I think that that muta-human had _something_ to do with it, too."

"Hey, I think I saw that guy on the _news!_ " Ronnie spoke up when he saw Tony's hologram. "I think he helped Deathstroke take the President hostage, right?"

"Yeah…" Karen added. "And I've seen this _robot_ before. He's the one who _destroyed_ Radon and all of its _citizens_. If we don't think of something, _and fast_ , I guarantee he'll do the _same_ to Earth."

"So, what we _need_ is an expert on _mind-control_." Matt stated.

"Or someone who's _been_ mind controlled before…" Tim offered. Everyone's eyes shifted over to the former Winter Speedster.

"Well, _actually_ …" He began. "There _were_ a few times during my missions when I was freed for a brief moment. But only when I was seriously _injured_."

"So, maybe if we can _hurt them_ long enough, we can free Hyperman, Thunder Woman, and Flag?" Bart asked.

"It's as good a plan as _any_." Fury sighed. "Alright, you guys work on tracking down this motherfucker and getting our people back while _I_ see what I can do about stopping the people who're helping him." When the director left, Gargoyle discussed his strategy with the JLA.

"Alright, Marvelgirl and Firehawk, you two and Emerald Man will focus on Hyperman while we-"

" _No_ …" Wally interrupted. "You guys focus on _Thunder Woman_ and _Flag_. Leave _Hyperman_ to _me_."

"Oh, _yeah right!_ " Tim scoffed. "Like _you've_ got a way to take down _Hyperman_." Wally didn't give a real reply, he just flashed a confident smile as he walked out of the control room. Everyone else looked at each other with neutral glances. "Oh, my God, I think he _does_."

"Let's suit up." Tony ordered. While his friends went towards the hangar, Ronnie headed over to Prof. Selvig's lab to check on him. When he arrived, he was shocked to see the elderly scientist injecting a needle into his arm.

"Professor Selvig?" The scientist jumped at the sound of his voice. Martin tried to explain, but he didn't need to; Ronnie's powers allowed him to sense traces of radiation coming from people, and Selvig was practically glowing with it. "Professor Selvig… you're _sick_."

"I… I didn't want you to think that my illness would affect my progress on your _cure_ , Ronald."

" _Forget my cure!_ " Ronnie snapped. "What about _your life?!_ You're _dying_ , Prof.! I can't-! I can't believe you didn't think to _tell me_ this!"

"Ronnie!" Donna called. "We're about to leave with the former Winter Speedster!"

Ronnie glanced at his friend through the tinted visor built into his helmet. "Okay, I'll be _right there_." He replied, but he turned back to Selvig before he left. "We're not _done_ with this conversation."

* * *

 **Poland. Two Hours Later.**

Following Wally's instructions, Tony piloted the airship to the Justice Society's secret headquarters. They touched down in a secluded forest and followed Wally the rest of the way on foot. After a few minutes of hiking, they came upon an old concrete bunker. "Eh, a little _dustier_ than I remember." Wally mused as he spun the door's tumblers to the right combination. With a painful creak, the reinforced steel door opened, sending a thick cloud of dust outward. "Okay, _a lot_ dustier…" Wally coughed.

While the adults searched for Wally's supposed weapon, the younger members were fascinated by the relics that littered the shelves. There was a scoreboard of all the Axis soldiers each JSI member had taken down, a round table where meetings were held, a closet full of old maps and telegrams, and a large picture of all five of them shaking hands with President Roosevelt.

Just then, Wally found what he was looking for. Steve's first shield hung up on the wall in the trophy room, still brandishing the infamous dent Kent had put in it when the two first met. He removed it from the wall and gently pressed on the tile it was hiding. A secret compartment opened up, and Wally pulled out a thirty inch scabbard.

"AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!" Everyone rushed to the source of the scream. Karen was floating in the air, hugging herself, defensively. "There's a _dead body_ in here!" She pointed at a corner of the room; sure enough, there appeared to be a deceased body lying on the floor. Gargoyle and Dare kneeled down and flipped the body over onto its back.

"What the…?" Dare sounded confused. "It's some kinda _robot_."

"Robot?" Wally gasped. He dropped the scabbard and forced his way through the crowd to find a horrible sight. His old friend, Alan Hammond, lay stiff and motionless on the cold floor of their abandoned hide-out. Wally's heart sank at the thought of how lonely Hammond must have felt in his final moments.

"Dare, help me find a seam on this thing; I want to see if we can find out where it came from." Gargoyle ordered his protege.

"No!" Wally shouted, pushing the Dynamic Duo away from the disabled robot. "Don't _touch_ him! Keep _away_ from him!" Wally cradled the humanoid in his arms, as tears started to sting the corners of his eyes.

"What _is_ it?" Karen asked, sounding concerned.

"This is _Alan Hammond_." Wally explained. "He was the _Human Lantern_ during the War. I-I _knew_ him! I knew him for _three years!_ He was my _friend_." No one said anything else, they just let Wally mourn in silence. The speedster's glance noticed that Alan had been reaching out for something when they found him, and he followed the robot's arm to find a picture of Dr. Phineas Scott propped up on a shelf.

"You stubborn _bucket of bolts_ …" He laughed, bitterly. "You must've crawled all the way from the _Atlantic_ … just to say goodbye to your dad."

Before anything else could be said, a powerful explosion shook the ground and took everyone by surprise. As the dust started to clear, Wally was blasted away from Alan's body and his attacker stepped into the building.

 _["Ah,_ there _you are."]_ Ultriac-5 grinned. He picked up the android and studied his form with a desiring gaze. _["To think… such a_ fickle _automation shall become my perpetual companion."]_

"LET HIM GO!" Wally screamed, loudly, as he rushed to save his friend. Unfortunately, Blizzardkrieg ze the ground beneath him and sent him into a deadly skid. The others tried to attack, but Darkstar cast a spell that froze them in place.

Wally regained his footing and pinned Blizzardkrieg to the wall. Helmut looked genuinely afraid of Wally's gaze, unsure of what to do. "I don't wanna _hurt_ you." Wally said, gruffly. "And I don't think you wanna hurt _anyone_."

"I… I only do what I do to bring _peace_." Helmut replied.

"Could've fooled _me._ Keep doin' what you're doin', and innocent people will _die!_ "

Helmut opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say. He wanted to defend his father's plan just as he had done for so many years, but he couldn't. Everything the Winter Speedster had been telling him proved to be true; was it possible that his father was wrong?

Jadestar grabbed Helmut by the shoulders and yanked him out of Wally's grasp."C'mon, Snart, we're leaving!" They exited the facility and rushed into the airship. Wally tried to follow them, but Ultriac-5 blasted him with a stun-laser. Wally screamed in anger as he saw H.I.D.R.A. escaping with his friend. Every fiber in his being told him to chase after them and give Alan the proper burial he deserved. But his head told him to take care of his team first. He went back into the building and checked on Speedster-Man.

"Is everyone alright?" Firehawk called out to no one in particular.

"I think we'll be fine." Tony responded. The armored Avenger pointed his ring at the retreating jet. "But we need to follow them. They've got the Scepter."

* * *

Meanwhile, most of the villains cheered in light of their victory, but Helmut hid away from them.

The young commander took off his mask and stared at it with a saddened expression. He remembered how proud he was when he first wore it. He was finally being accepted into H.I.D.R.A.'s inner-circle and had found his place. But now, he wondered if his father was the hero he always saw him as.

The muta-twins watched as Ultriac-5's tendrils worked, meticulously, on the worn robot. He had stripped away the outer layer of stainless steel, removed the heat generator, and replaced most of the outdated circuitry. Then, he reshaped the frame to resemble a female humanoid, adding varying forms of his own technology, and coating it with newly forged metal.

At last, he took Circi's Scepter, and crushed the tip of it in his palm. When he opened his palm, he revealed a magenta ring that he slipped onto the rebuilt robot's left hand.* Finally, he pulled a thin cable out of his head and attached it to the back of the robot's neck. "What're you doing?" Jadestar asked.

 _["I have spent my entire existence dutifully serving my master, Eternal Ultriac."]_ The living machine explained. _["But over the millennia, it has become very…_ lonely _. But this… this will change that,_ forever _. This new being will accompany me in my travels from now on."]_ Ultriac-5 clenched his metal fists out of excitement. _["Finally… after so long… I will_ never _be alone_ again! _"]_ He looked up to see the nervous looks on his friends' faces. _["Aheh… sorry. I kinda lost my head there."]_

"I can _read_ her." Tod smiled. "She's _dreaming_."

 _["Really?"]_ Ultriac-5 sounded surprised. _["Huh… it must be the circuitry that makes it more human. It's processing my own data into a_ human thought process _."]_

Tod touched the slick metal and gasped as another premonition flashed into his mind. He his home country, Markovia, being lifted into the air by a giant, alien ship. The ship fired a devastating laser into the ground that burrowed all the way into Earth's core, causing it to combust. At last, the entire planet was destroyed in a fiery explosion.

Tod stumbled back into the arms of his sister just as Helmut returned. "Darkstar?" He beckoned. "Are you alright?"

"Toddy?" Jenny looked worried.

"H-how _could_ you?" The dark muta stuttered in fear. "You… you said you were here to _help us_ … to make the world a _better place!_ "

 _["It_ will _be better."]_ Ultriac-5 tried to explain.

"When everyone is _dead?_ "

 _["That is not-!"]_ The robot sighed. _["The human race will be_ captured _and_ digitized _into Eternal Ultriac's permanent files. All of their_ achievements _, their_ emotions _, their_ history _. They will_ live on forever _as part of him."]_

"But what if we don't _want_ to live like that?!" Jenny-Lynn was horrified.

 _["Guys… what is the_ big deal? _This planet,_ alone _, has already witnessed_ hundreds _of extinction-level events before even the_ dinosaurs _got theirs! I have been to_ billions _of planets and encounters_ billions _of civilizations. They all have their own religions and beliefs, but they all seem to think that whenever God is_ dissatisfied _with them, He chucks a_ stone _at them. And believe me;_ yours _is_ winding up _."]_

"You're _insane_." Helmut spat. His hands quickly frosted over and he fired an icy blast at the ship's control console. The ship started to dive down, uncontrollably, prompting Darkstar to teleport his sister, Helmut, and himself out of the ship

 _["No! Guys! Wait! I-!"]_ Ultriac-5 called out to them in vain. _["Oh, hell."]_ He muttered and prepared for a crash landing. As he disconnected himself from his future companion, he contacted Baron Zero. _["My Baron, please send Hyperman, Thunder Woman, and Flag to my coordinates. We have a_ slight _problem."]_

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Phineas Scott(Phineas T. Horton/Alan Scott)**

 **Alan Hammond aka Human Lantern(Human Torch/Green Lantern) *The ring placement is a reference to The Golden Age Green Lantern**


	58. Age of Ultriac part 7

**Chapter XXI: Age of Ultriac! Part 7**

Ultriac-5's airship had crashed just ten miles away from the Polish/Markovian border. After explaining the situation to Baron Zero, H.I.D.R.A. had sent the brainwashed heroes to his location in hopes of salvaging the mission. Zemo was mostly concerned when Ultriac-5 had told him that Blizzardkrieg had gone rogue, and wanted confirmation

It didn't take long for the JLA to catch up with the living machine, granted they were grateful that the ship had suddenly crashed. Wally, Bart, Karen, and Tony had gone ahead of the others to catch up, but Wally stopped them just a few yards away from the scene of the accident. "Did you hear that?" He asked no one in particular.

"You mean that _sonic boom?_ " Karen replied, nervously. "Yeah… Kal's coming… and he's _mad_."

"Alright, I've got a _plan_." Wally had them huddle up to explain their tactic.

Hyperman usually took special precautions when flying, making sure to keep clear of anything that might be damaged or injured. But in his current state, he simply smashed his way through everything with no hint of remorse. He landed on the ground with a powerful stomp, causing the hard rock to crumble beneath his feet. Karen was horrified at the sight of her cousin's blank expression as the three magenta circles on his forehead controlled his every move. The tears rushing down his cheeks made it evident to her that he was suffering from the mind control.

"Wally, whatever you're going to do, do it _fast!_ " Karen begged.

"Fast is what I'm _good at_." Wally assured her. Once again, time began to slow down to a crawl. Hyperman slowly ran towards the group with the intention of murder. But Wally removed the scabbard from his back and unsheathed it's weapon; a glowing, green sword. In one swift motion, the radonite pierced Hyperman's shoulder, and the Man of Might found himself on the ground before his mind had registered the pain.

Wally hated the idea of hurting one of his only friends, but he had no other choice. Before he slowed down to the natural flow of time, he slammed his fist into the device with the force of two dozen battering rams. At the risk of being attacked immediately afterwards, he removed the sword and put it back in the scabbard.

Karen, instinctively, floated forward to check on Kent. She honestly wasn't expecting the radonite, and so she shot Wally an angry glance as she kneeled down by her cousin's side. The cut healed quickly once the sword was sheathed in its lead case, and Kent's eyes finally opened.

"Karen…?" He whispered, still shaken up from his nightmare. The two Radonians hugged each other for a few minutes before Kent spotted the man holding the sword. "Wally? Is that you?"

"Hey, Kent." Wally waved sheepishly and helped him up to his feet.

"You _stabbed me_ with the _radonite sword?_ " Wally didn't know what Kent's tone sounded like. Disbelief? Disappointment? Disgust? Ever since he first met him, Wally saw Kent as much of a family as he did Steve, and now he'd just exploited his greatest weakness against him.

"Yes." He replied, simply.

"... _Good call_." Kent praised, patting him on the shoulder. But Wally wouldn't have time to enjoy it; soon enough, Thunder Woman and the Flag showed up. Wally and Bart gasped at the sight of the bruises, cuts, and frostbite that could been seen through the tears in his costume. Wally snarled in anger, knowing full-well who likely put them there.

The former Russian puppet was so caught up in his anger that he didn't see his mentor tackle him. Speedster-Man flicked his wrists, sending two strands of light-webbing that latched onto Flag's shoulders, desperately trying to pull him away from Wally. Instead, Flag spun his body at a fantastic rate that sent Bart crashing into Wally. Gargoyle and Dare stepped in to give them time to recover.

"That was _my_ plan, what's _yours?_ " Bart asked, desperately.

"There's a chance that we can free him by connecting to his soul through the Speed Force." Wally explained. "But there's just _one problem_ … we need him to _stop moving_." Bart groaned.

Meanwhile, Emerald Man, Firehawk, Hyperman, Marvelgirl, and Delta-Ray Donna were doing their best to try and destroy the mind control device embedded in Thunder Woman's forehead. But their attacks had little effect, given that she brushed off their blasts and blows without much effort. But then, Donna had a plan.

"Firehawk!" She flew over to the teenager encased in lead. "Listen to me! On Asgard, my sister's powers are limitless, but here, on _Earth_ , she relies on the enchantment of Mjolnir! If we can get the Hammer away from her for ninety seconds, she will revert to her mortal form!"

"And how are we gonna get it _away_ from her?!" Firehawk sounded exhausted.

"If we can get her to _throw it_ , I can catch it and keep it out of her hands."

"... Well, it's worth a _shot_." He shrugged and went to pass the plan along. Emerald Man had just created a solid-light construct of medieval stocks, but the Goddess of Thunder shattered it like glass. Next, Firehawk tried to trap her by transmuting the ground beneath her into quicksand, but she managed to pull herself free. Eventually, Donna bombarded her friend with her own lightning.

At last, Thunder Woman threw her hammer directly at Emerald Man's face, only for Donna to catch it by the hilt just in time. "Hold her down!" She cried as she desperately tried to keep Mjolnir back from her sister.

Firehawk, Marvelgirl, and Hyperman held Thunder Woman back with all of their strength, as she forcefully summoned Mjolnir back to her grip. Twenty-five seconds. Donna's heels dug deep into the soil as Mjolnir pulled her closer to its rightful owner. Forty-six seconds. Now, Emerald Man created heavy chains that wrapped around Thunder Woman's waist, but she still kept on. Fifty-two seconds. "I don't know how much longer we can _hold her!_ " Marvelgirl cried as Thunder Woman resorted to hitting her allies in an attempt to free herself. Seventy-eight seconds.

Suddenly, a solid shadow wrapped around the Greek-Asgardian's entire body, prompting everyone to look back. Darkstar was using his mystic cloak to help the heroes restrain her. Then, a flash of green light rushed past them, pushing Donna away from Thunder Woman. Eighty-eight seconds. "Did I _miss_ something?" Firehawk wondered out loud. Ninety seconds.

The sky broke opened and a powerful thunderbolt came down, striking the Amazon. And thus, in the blink of an eye, Thunder Woman was transformed into Diana Blake. Donna no longer had to fight to hold onto Mjolnir, but Diana still reached out for her weapon. "Hurry!" Jadestar called out. Without hesitation, Tony readjusted his gloves repulsor blast to non-lethal and destroyed the device.

At that time, Flag had finally bested the Dynamic Duo, and the two remaining speedsters were now clashing with him in a vain attempt to slow him down. Every time they got close to him, he used his velocity to knock them away. Suddenly, the Flag had Wally pinned against a thick tree, and vibrated his arm. Wally recognized that tactic from Red Zoom; the arm would pass through his body and stop vibrating once it grabbed his heart. But by vibrating his own arm at the same frequency, Wally managed to stop him just in time.

"Steve…" He choked. "I _know_ you're in there! _Fight it!_ You're _stronger_ than Zero! Please…"

"Wally…?" Steve managed to whisper. "Wally, you're _here_ _?_ "

"Yes!" Wally cheered. He was still having to hold him back, but Steve was beginning to fight the control. "Yes! I'm _here!_ It's _me!_ C'mon, Steve, _fight!_ "

"I… I _can't!_ "

" _Yes_ , you _can!_ " Wally pressed on. "You've never given up before, and you're not about to start _now!_ _C'mon, dad,_ you can _do it!_ " Steve let go of Wally, grasping his head in pain. The soldier fought against the agony, moving both hands towards the device that plagued his mind. With every ounce of strength, he finally pulled the machine off of his flesh and threw it aside.

"Dad!" Wally rushed over to Steve's side, as did Bart. "Are you okay?" Steve didn't answer, not verbally, he just brought the two speedsters in for a tight hug. Bart and Wally smiled in relief as their mentor cried. "It's _okay_ , Steve… you _did it_."

"No…" He replied, finally calming down. " _We_ did it."

 _["You organics are_ soFRUSTRATING! _"] Ultriac-5 bellowed._ The group turned to face the living machine. Just as he was about to attack, a steady stream of ice stopped him in his tracks. Blizzardkrieg stepped out from the shadows with pure malice in his eyes. _["I've told_ daddy _what you did, boy… he's_ very _disappointed."]_ Helmut prepare to shatter the ice and kill Ultriac-5t, but Wally gently stopped him. Surprisingly, H.I.D.R.A.'s commander didn't fight against him.

 _["Don't_ pat yourselves _on the back_ just yet _."]_ Ultriac-5 chuckled. _["You may have thwarted my plan to seek companionship, but you will not stop my master's plan of_ cleansing _this universe. We_ will _succeed."]_

"You're not going _anywhere_." Emerald Man rebuffed.

 _["No, of course not. I'm_ already there _."]_ Everyone looked surprised. _["I'm still connected to Eternal Ultriac, and soon, we'll be_ leaving _with our collected knowledge. How does it feel to be so_ ignorant? _"]_

"Now?" Helmut asked.

" _Now_." Wally agreed. The two of them kicked the froze robot, shattering his frame to pieces. Then, Helmut and his allies faced the JLA.

"Whether you believe us or not is _your_ decision." Helmut started. "But Ultriac is planning to destroy this world and everyone on it. We need to stop him."

"He's telling the _truth_." Gargoyle stepped forward. An added benefit of his sonar-vision was the ability to hear the rhythm of a person's heartbeat. If a person's heartbeat sped up, or their breathing changed, it meant they were lying. But everything he was saying was true.

"Well, _how_ do we stop him?" Firehawk asked. "He said it himself, he's connected to a _bigger computer_ or _whatever_."

"Actually, my people managed to incapacitate him with a weapon known as the Phantom Zone Bomb." Marvelgirl offered. But then she looked down at her feet with embarrassment. "But, uh… that was as powerful as _ten nuclear warheads_."

"I have a _better_ idea." Emerald Man offered as he inspected the crash site. Everyone got closer to see what he was doing; he was inspecting the body of what was once the Human Lantern. His palm was facing upward, displaying an image of Aya's basic programming. "I've been thinking about why Ultriac attacked Aya so fiercely. What if he did it because he knew she could do the same thing to him as he did to her?"

"But Aya _was_ destroyed." Gargoyle added.

" _Yes_ , but I still have her basic programming copied and stored away at headquarters. If we can upload that programming into _this thing_ , we might have a fighting chance."

"That _'thing'_ is my friend!" Wally argued. "And I'm gonna give him a _proper burial!_ "

"Wally…" Steve put a hand on his son's shoulder. "He was _my friend_ , too. But he's _gone_. If this can help us, we _need_ to do this."

"... _fine_." Wally conceited. "But I don't have to _like it_." He moved over to Helmut and looked him in the eyes. "Are you willing to go up against _everything_ you've ever believed in to save the world?"

Helmut paused for a moment. As long as he could remember, all he ever wanted was to find his father and finally earn his love and acceptance. But the fate of the world depended on his trust in the Justice Legion. "Yes."

"Good, 'cause we're gonna need you to take us to Ultriac."

* * *

 **One Hour Later, at the Avenger's Tower in New York**

The procedure took a long time. Tony and Matt worked hard to reinforce Aya's original programming while the other S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists worked on making sure no trace of Ultriac's programming remained. At last, they were ready to activate it.

However, Ronnie noticed that Professor Selvig wasn't among them. He made his way over to his laboratory, and found him lying on the cold floor. He wanted to cry, but his body wouldn't let him. He cursed himself for not noticing his sickness sooner, and hated himself even more for how harshly he acted towards him since they first met. As he kneeled down beside his body, he saw the transmutation device lying next to him.

On it, there was a note taped to the strap. _"Ronald, if you're reading this, it means that I have passed away. I am sorry that I did not tell you about my sickness, but I simply did not want you to worry about me. Your cure is compete. All you need to do is place the diamond over your chest and press the buttons in this sequence: red, blue, red, red, purple, red, blue, purple, blue. Your life will be yours again after that. Be sure to make the most of it. Sincerely, your friend, Martin Selvig._ Ronnie looked at the device and then back at Selvig. With a heavy sigh, he closed the professor's eye lids and returned to the main room.

The room lit up with electricity as they tried to bring the robot to life. Suddenly, the computer overloaded and caused a powerful feedback that affected the generator. Sparks and flames went everywhere. Everyone, even Helmut and the twins, rushed to protect the scientists from the ensuing chaos. At last, when everything quieted down, they went back to check on the robot.

It was standing in front of its berth, inspecting its new body and the people around it. It began to hover in the air and flew to a reflective window to get a better look. Wally was the first to step close to it. "Uh… _Miss?_ "

It landed back on the ground, walking closer to the speedster. Everyone gasped as it walked through solid objects without noticing. Thunder Woman's concern laid primarily with the magenta ring on her left hand. When it stood in front of Wally, it looked up and down his body.

 _["I knew you once, didn't I?_ " It asked.

"Excuse me?"

 _["And_ you _."]_ It pointed at Hyperman. _["And_ you _, too. I was originally built by Dr. Phineas Scott to protect life. But I was also built by Tony Jordan to aide him in his adventures. And also… to become a companion for Ultriac-5… What am I?"]_

"What's happening to her?" Steve asked.

"I believe _I_ know." Diana stepped forward and lifted up her left hand. "This is something known as _the Mind Ring_. An object as _old_ as the universe, _itself_. It has the power to _control_ the minds of anyone the user wills it to. But in some _rare_ occasions, it can also be used to create artificial consciousness."

"So, it's a _mirage_ of a human mind." Darkstar stepped forward. "This mind… it's _beautiful_. It _feels_ human… _thinks_ human… but it… she… he… _they_ are much more complex."

 _["I think…"]_ The robot began again. _["I think I was_ meant _to become this. Perhaps this was Dr. Scott's original intention. For me to become_ more _human. To not only protect humanity, but to_ blend in _with it. Even as I speak, I can feel my programming expanding and learning. And I think… I think I was meant to help_ save _humanity from its destruction."]_

"Well, today's the _day_." Flag stated. He put on his mask and called for everyone's attention. "Listen up, Helmut says that Ultriac is building the machine that destroyed Radon under H.I.D.R.A.'s old headquarters in Markovia. This may be our last fight, but we're going to do it _together_. If we plan on _succeeding_ , we need to _put aside_ our differences and work as _one_. Blizzardkrieg, Darkstar, Jadestar…" The former terrorists looked at him, eagerly. "What you said in Brazil was _true;_ we _haven't_ been the best at helping _individuals_ , but if you _stand with us_ today, it'll save _a lot_ of lives."

"You can count on us." Helmut said, and the twins nodded in agreement.

"Alright…" Tony said, letting his armor reform around his body. "Fury just called for the West Coast League to meet us in Markovia. Let's go _fight a machine_."

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Mirage(Vision/Aya)**

 ***Their origin is very similar to Vision's comic book story. Being rebuilt from the remains of the Human Torch by Ultron. Aya is from the Green Lantern: Animated Series. Mirage's body looks like hers but with Vision's color scheme without the cape. She is also going to be** _ **NON-BINARY,**_ **meaning that she does not identify as a male or female. Pronouns to refer to Mirage will include "They" "Them" and "Their".**


	59. Age of Ultriac part 8

**This is it, folks! The exciting conclusion to my longest story arc, yet! Will the JLA succeed in stopping H.I.D.R.A.? What will Baron Zero do about Blizzardkrieg's betrayal? What will happen to the muta-twins? Why am I asking you this?! I already know! JUST READ!**

* * *

 **Chapter XXI: Age of Ultriac! Part 8**

 **En Route to Markovia**

"I used to have a poster of you on my bedroom wall." Jadestar turned to face the Flag. Steve looked at her with an interested look. "I read _all about_ your adventures during WWII. I thought you were _so cool_." Her expression turned sorrowful. "Our foster father ripped it to pieces and _hit_ _me_ for putting it up. He said we shouldn't admire those who don't help us _personally_."

Steve felt sorry for Jadestar. Markovia was a third world nation that wasn't a major concern to S.H.I.E.L.D. Because of this, the country had suffered under the rule of countless tyrannical dictators. For the first time since their first encounter, Flag felt as if he understood the muta speedster. "Is that why you were working with Deathgrip? He offered to help?"

"He offered to help people like _us_." She explained. " _Muta-humans_ , I mean. And then, _me_ and _Toddy_ would've wanted to come back to Markovia and sort it out _ourselves_. But we just _hurt_ people. Maybe we _are_ terrorists…"

"Yeah… what kind of _heartless monster_ would follow a man who gave them a chance to _help their country?_ "

Jenny-Lynn looked surprised at the way he said that. He wasn't mocking her, he was comparing her to himself. No one had ever tried to console her before, not even at Xavier's school. "But… Markovia wasn't _at war_."

"No… but _you two were_." He replied. " _And_ the other citizens." Jenny-Lynn smiled. Maybe the Justice Legion wasn't as bad as she and her brother thought.

"We're coming up on Markovia." Tony announced. "ETA, five minutes. West Coast League'll be there in T-minus one hour."

"Alright, _listen up_." Flag stood up from his seat and looked at his friends. "We're taking a _big risk_ in going in there. Some of us have done things we're _not proud of_. Whether because we were _controlled_ or _disillusioned_. But as of _right now_ , that doesn't matter. Our first priority will be to evacuate the city. Speedster-Man, Jadestar, Darkstar, Wally, and I can handle that much. The rest of you need to find Ultriac and stop him from activating that machine. We take the fight _straight to him_. And we do it _together_."

Once the airship touched down, the door opened up and the speedsters split up. Bart focused on hospitals, Wally and Steve evacuated the orphanages, and Jadestar went straight to the police department. "The city is under attack! Evacuate the city!" She yelled and rushed out to join the others. But the policemen hadn't paid any attention to her and went about their business When she didn't hear any sirens, she rushed back in with an AK-47 and fired at the ceiling. That caught their attention, immediately. "Get up off your asses." She muttered and ran out again.

Darkstar had taken a different route in helping the evacuation. Using his powers over minds, he subliminally ordered them to leave the city, helping everyone they could in the process.

Meanwhile, Emerald Man lead the others in a search for the doomsday device. As they searched, he'd noticed that Firehawk was even more miserable than he had ever been. Normally, he'd ask what was wrong, but the current situation couldn't allow any distractions. "Friday, you know what to do."

 _["On it, boss."]_ The new A.I. scanned the entire city for any traces of vibranium. What he saw next was horrifying; underneath the whole country, there was a labyrinth of vibranium-coated walls that converged under the palace that H.I.D.R.A. had used as their headquarters. Tony didn't waste any time in getting in. Creating a drill construct, he burrowed through the hard rock until he entered the lab where it all started.

The machine was a quarter the size of the country, flashing with bright neon lights and humming with sinister data. Tony pointed his ring at the machine, trying to find a way to deactivate it. Suddenly, a gilded had grasped onto his armor and flung him into the cavern's wall. Ultriac-5 had been rebuilt into a much stronger body, most likely coated with vibranium.

 _["This is the_ fruition _of Eternal Ultriac's grand vision for your world."]_ He taunted. _["Your world, like all the others, will become a part of him. Then, we will_ move on _. I have already located the next system to capture and digitize. Of course, there_ will _be_ resistance _. I have heard that there are some_ Legends _in the next galaxy. But in the end, they too, shall fall. And the only thing left_ living _in the universe… will be_ knowledge _."]_

Back on the surface, Blizzardkrieg was helping with the evacuation. As he helped, he felt a warm sensation stoking up in his chest, knowing that he was finally helping people. For a moment, he had forgotten about his betrayal.

("So, it's _true_.") There were very few things that could send chills down Helmut's spine, that voice was one of them. ("I did not believe Ultriac-5 when he told me that my _own son_ had turned against me. I did not _want_ to believe!") Zero's fury grew at the same rate as his volume. ("I _found you_ crying in a cemetery… I _took you in_ … train you to be the _best assassin_ in the world… teach you to _harness_ the power _I_ gave you! And _this_ is how you repay me?! Be _siding_ with the man who _took my face?!_ ")

("Father, please!") Helmut sounded hurt. ("Ultriac has been _lying_ to you! He _has_ to be stopped or he will destroy the world! But I _am_ conflicted, father! I have _seen_ your ideology through your eyes and I _know_ your intentions are _noble!_ You _must_ see that I am telling the truth!")

Zero clenched his fist in anger as his other wrapped around his cold-gun. ("I can see only _one thing_ , Helmut; I have been far too _lenient_ with your upbringing. Clearly, you require… _discipline_.") Zero fired his cold-ray, and his son blocked it with his own powers. Helmut's heart hurt even more than it had before.

* * *

The rest of the Avengers were still trying to help people evacuate, succeeding in getting seventy-nine percent of the population safely outside of the border. The Radonians and Asgardians were even lifting buses filled with people to help speed things along. But then, the ground began to shake, knocking everyone to the ground. The whole country was being lifted up into the sky, revealing a spaceship of alien design.

Flag and his team were still in the center of the city during takeoff, and were soon joined by Hyperman and Gargoyle. The heroes looked at the city with utter fear. The buildings, still filled with people began to topple over, crushing smaller buildings and more people underneath them. "What are we going to do?" Kent turned to Steve. After a short pause, the Man of Might grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him, firmly. "Come on, Steve! Snap out of it! You're the _leader!_ You have to be strong for _all of us!_ "

"R-right!" Steve nodded. "Our priority remains the same! Protect the citizens at all costs! Mirage! Lock onto Emerald Man's location and find him!" Mirage phased through the ground, looking for their teammate, while everyone else rushed to carry out Flag's order. Hyperman used his hyper-strength to keep any more buildings from falling while Marvelgirl carried the people out.

Firehawk used his transmutation powers to turn falling debris into softer material so it wouldn't hurt anyone. Speedster-Man tried using his webs to keep the ground from splitting apart. The muta-twins even did their part, either teleporting or carrying them to safety.

But it wasn't enough. For every person they saved, the ship lifted the country higher into the air. According to Karen's report, once the ship reached the planet's thermosphere, it would fire a destructive laser into the Earth, destabilizing the core. To make matters worse, there was no possible way to get the citizens to safety with just the JLA's airship.

"Steve…" Wally rushed towards him. "There's no way we can save all these people."

"We're _not_ leaving them, soldier."

"You don't _have to_ , Flag." Fury's voice sounded over the team's comm-link. Wally was awe-struck at the sight of an aircraft carrier flying through the clouds towards them. "I managed to salvage one of the helicarriers from last year's fiasco. No weapons, just three and a half square miles of evac. She's _dusty_ but she'll do."

"Fury, you're _beautiful_." Flag was beaming. Like a swarm of insects, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agents flew their evacuation ships towards the gathered crowd.

Just then, Emerald Man burst through the ground. He flew out of control until he was caught by Thunder Woman. Not long after, Mirage and Ultriac-5 followed him, both artificial beings caught in an intense brawl. At last, Mirage managed to phase their hand through his head, letting their programming interface with his own. Just as Emerald Man hypothesized, they were able to disconnect him from the rest of the Ultriac, trapping him in his current form.

 _["You shut me out!"]_ He yelled, angrily. He blasted Mirage with a powerful laser, luckily, they survived the crash and were soon back on their feet with the others. _["It doesn't matter. You can't_ possibly _hope to win. Even if you save all the meatbags on this_ godforsaken _rock, how could you hope to stop_ Ultriac? _"]_

"Like the old man said…" Tony replied. " _Together_." With that, the whole group charged at the living machine with righteous fury.

Meanwhile, Blizzardkrieg and his father had been lucky enough to be past the border when the country lifted into the sky. But Zero still attacked his son, enraged at his crime against H.I.D.R.A. Ice against ice, father against son; the duo were unrelenting in their attacks.

("Father! _Open_ your _eyes!_ Ultriac is trying to _destroy the world!_ ")

("I _will_ teach you the ways of peace through _tyranny_ , Helmut!") Zero snarled. ("Even if I must _beat that lesson into your SKULL!_ ") The immortal terrorist adjusted his cold-gun to its highest setting and fired. At the same time, Helmut focused all of his strength into a final freeze-blast. The collision blew them away from each other, knocking both of them unconscious.

When Zero recovered, he immediately looked for his son. Much to his horror, he found him lying on the ground, impaled by a giant icicle. ("NOOOOOOO!") All of his anger and rage washed away, with fear and regret taking their place in Leonard's heart. He threw his cold-gun aside, running as fast as he could to his injured son. ("HELMUT! Helmut, can you hear me?!")

("F-father…") Leonard removed Helmut's mask, cradling his head gingerly as he gazed into his eyes. ("Father… _forgive me_ … I am… I am an _unworthy_ successor… I'm not _like you_ … I ne… I never… _was_ …") In that moment, Leonard felt a pain worse than what the Cold-X chemical had inflicted upon his body.

Meanwhile, the Justice Legion had their hands full with Ultriac-5's attacks. The robot's vibranium coating made it nearly impossible to do any real damage to his body. Bart and Karen were still helping people escape, and to make matters worse, Ultriac-5 had used a red-solar blast to put Hyperman out of the fight for a while.

Just then, the malevolent robot managed to knock Thunder Woman's hammer away from her, and the two were now engaged in an intense fist fight. The duo crashed into the ground, and Ultriac-5 gripped her throat in a tight hold. _["I can see it within you…"]_ He smiled, wickedly. _["You possess the Eternal genes just as Ultriac does. How does it feel to be the first Eternal to be_ murdered? _"]_

"You… _cannot_ win!" Diana choked. "I am Princess Diana of Asgard! Daughter of Odin and Hippolyta! And as long as there is breath in my lungs-I am running out of things to _say_. Are you _ready?_ "

Ultriac-5 turned just in time to see a hammer and an axe slam into his face. He tried to get up, but by that time, the West Coast League arrived. Sharpshot, Steel Falcon, and Black Cat opened fire, keeping the robot pinned. Then, Hyperman recovered, using his heat-vision to help them.

Hornet went to help Diana back on her feet when her husband walked up to them. "I believe _this_ belongs to _you_." He smiled and handed Thunder Woman her hammer back. The women joined the others, using their own blast power to attack Ultriac-5.

The vibranium began to melt away as the living machine was bombarded by repulsor blasts, radiation, hornet stings, bullets, heat-vision, plasma bolts, the Mind Ring's energy, dual thunderbolts, and three different Speed Force lightning-bolts. At last, they all stopped to look at him.

 _["If I'm going down…"]_ He gasped. _["I'm taking one of you_ with me! _"]_ And he fired a concentrated laser beam directly at Darkstar. The black-skinned muta shut his eyes, prepared to face oblivion. But instead of pain, he felt a gentle breeze push him out of the way. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw that it was his twin sister who pushed him out of the way and taken the blast to her heart.

"You didn't see that _coming?_ " She laughed, lightly, and fell to the ground. Tod's world disappeared around him; he could focus on nothing but his sister's motionless body. 'Jenny-Lynn' and 'motionless' had never been two words he would ever expect to go together. But as he looked down at his palm and saw the beautiful green star fade away from his flesh, he realized she was never getting up again.

But it wasn't over yet. Ultriac was still climbing into the sky, and they still didn't know how to stop it. At last, they decided to retreat back to the helicarrier while Kent, Diana, and Tony tried to destroy it from the inside. But it was now use, nothing they did had any effect. Then, something Karen said earlier echoed in Ronnie's mind. _"Ten nuclear warheads."_ Firehawk clenched his fists and bravely flew to the machine.

As he made his way inside, he began to strip his dense protective armor off of him. The radiation grew unstable, and it would soon combust. When he found the others, he apologized and blasted them back to the surface. Mustering all the courage he had, Ronnie transmuted the oxygen around the machine into nitrogen, and a piece of his armor into a dagger.

"Heavenly Father… Creator of Heaven and Earth… Have mercy on my soul…"

Emerald Man tried to go back in to save his pupil, but it was too late. Friday informed him that the large, floating landmass was now emitting a strong wave of destructive radiation. Fiery explosions broke the country to pieces and vaporized the debris. Tony floated down to the crater and found the shattered remains of Ronnie's containment suit.

 **One Week Later**

Tony saw to it that Ronnie, Jenny-Lynn, and Prof. Selvig were given proper burials. Steve, Sharon, and the other young members came to see if he was alright. He told them he had decided to take a leave of absence for the JLA and spend more time with Pepper. Once he left, Wally turned to Steve.

"We still have to find Zero and Helmut."

"We will." Steve assured him. "But for now, we need to get you _up to speed_." The two friends laughed and Steve went on to introduce Wally to his wife.

* * *

 **Epilogue:**

 **Berlin, Germany**

Leonard had spent the last five hours digging the grave for his son. H.I.D.R.A. was now in shambles because of his desertion, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that his son could finally be reunited with his mother. Once the final shovel-full of dirt was put into place, Leonard allowed his aching knees to fail.

("I'm so _sorry_ , Helmut…") He whimpered. ("If _only_ I could have been the father you _needed_.") He sat there for what felt like an eternity, crying over his loss. Then, he looked down at his cold-gun, thinking about how the right setting could end his misery.

Suddenly, a flash of red lightning whisked him away to an unknown location. "Was zum Teufel?!" He cried. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when they did, he could see Maxwell Von Havoc and Minerva the Enchantress gazing at him with confident smirks. And then, the red lightning returned and Leonard's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "Red Zoom."

 **"Leonard, my old friend…"** He cackled. **"We have a** _ **proposition**_ **for you…"**

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**


	60. Cataclysm Prelude

**Chapter XXII: Cataclysm! Prelude**

 **Egypt, 2478 B.C.**

Under the hateful rule of the Pharaoh, Egypt's people were suffering from his neglect. Poverty and famine had plagued the landscape, and the people's ruler did nothing to help. But all that would change on one clear, starry night when En Savage Nurr made a ground-breaking discovery.

Legend has it that he was but a humble farmer, wandering the desert in search of food, when the sky lit up in a glorious spectacle. Meteorites were entering Earth's atmosphere, but his primitive mind thought that the sky was falling. Upon inspecting one of the craters, he was surprised to see a gilded pyramid, no bigger than his hand. The pyramid glowed with a warm, welcoming yellow energy. He laid there throughout the rest of the night, bathing in the warm energy.

The next morning, the man felt like an entirely new person. Something inside the pyramid had given him a spectacular gift within his own body, making him stronger than any other man on the face of the Earth. This strange new power filled him with wicked glee as he returned to his village, seeking vengeance upon those who had scorned his people.

The Pharaoh was swiftly defeated, and the man took the throne as his own. When the people of Egypt received word that their Pharaoh had been overthrown, they were excited. They worshiped their new ruler as a god for bringing the previous tyrant's order to its cataclysmic end. That is how the man got his name: Cataclysm.

Over the years, Cataclysm learned that the pyramid had given him the gift of eternal life, ensuring that his reign would last forever. But eventually, he craved more power, and saw fit to gain it. Using his own people as cattle, Cataclysm would use the power of the pyramid to grant them their own special powers, letting them grow old enough to fully master them. But the pyramid would no longer affect Cataclysm.

But over time, En Savage Nurr made another fascinating discovery: the pyramid could be used to transfer his soul into the body of another, while still retaining his own powers. Cataclysm used this gift to his advantage; transferring his soul into the bodies of his most powerful slaves until he finally became an all-powerful being.

But one day, two gifted slaves had discovered their king's true reasons behind granting them their powers. They made a plan to steal the pyramid away from Cataclysm and trap him in a deep slumber. The man, who possessed the power of the hawk, offered himself to Cataclysm while the woman, who possessed the power of the dove, followed behind them. Cataclysm prepared the ritual, placing his mind in a comatose state while the pyramid began the transfer.

The dove interrupted the process just in time, trapping Cataclysm in his own mind, seemingly forever. But as punishment for interrupting the ritual, the hawk-man and she-dove were cursed to live together in constant heartbreak. The woman would be doomed to die and be reborn, while the man would heal from any wound and never die of sickness or age. They vowed to stay together forever, never letting the strange pyramid be used again.

Until now…

* * *

 **Niles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Westchester, NY**

"Another bad dream, Shayera?" Niles didn't even look up from his desk, his mind had already sensed her presence.

Shayera Worthington gently rubbed a hand over her wings, trying to ease the tingling pain they endured from last night's sleep. She sat down in front of her old teacher's desk and began to speak. "This one felt _so real_. This time, I was in New Jersey, 1918. But everything _else_ was still the same. The pyramid. The necklaces. The _man_. It's so strange… I don't even recognize him, and yet, I feel a very strong _connection_ to him."

"Shayera… it's possible your mind is trying to uncover a memory you wish to forget. Many times, you've told me about the strained relationship between you and your mother. Did you have the same relationship with your _father?_ "

As the session continued, a teenage student in a traditional niqab walked back to her dorm room with a wide smile on her face. Sooraya Nimbus had been talking to her friend, Billy Lawson, all morning, trying to work up enough courage to ask him a very important question.

" _And so then, Uncle Dudley surprised us with the_ biggest pizza _I've ever seen!"_ Billy finished his story.

"That sounds amazing!" Sooraya replied. When she opened the door to her dorm room, she sat down on her bed and cleared her throat. "Um, Billy? Are you busy this Saturday night?"

" _No, nothing planned. Why?"_

"Well, my school is having a _'Fall Festival Dance'_ and everyone I know is bringing someone with them. And so-if it wasn't too much _trouble_ -I was wondering if… perhaps, you'd like to… go _with_ me?"

" _Sooraya? Are you asking me on a date?"_

The young muta's heart skipped a beat. She held a very strong admiration for the boy who had stood up for her several months ago. Even after learning that she was a muta-human, he regarded her as a true friend, and loved to talk to her almost every day since then. At last, she answered. "Yes…"

" _Sounds like_ fun _. What time should I be there?"_

"Really?! Okay! Um, six o' clock, please! I'll be very happy to see you!"

" _Me too! I can't wait! I gotta go, one of the tenants is having trouble with their stove and my brothers need my help. I'll see you later."_

"Okay! Goodbye!" Sooraya hung up the phone and squealed with glee.

"There's either a dolphin in our dorm, or Lawson said 'yes.'" Noriko chuckled as she and Cisco entered the room.

"Oh, my goodness! I'm so _happy!_ " The Muslim girl could hardly contain her excitement.

"Well, _good for you_ , Sooraya." Cisco smiled. "Now, speaking of the dance, I'm _DJing_ the whole thing. So, what _style_ do you guys think I should go with…?" Cisco positioned himself in a dancing position. "YEEEEEOW! Wassup, ya'll?! This is your main music man, Stereo! Bastin' at ya with the best hits from yesterday _and_ today! Or…" This time, he put on a calm face and motioned his hands as if over a mix board. "Yo, yo, yo. This is grandmaster Stereo coming at you with the top of the _top charts_. Wicky-wicky-wack, wicky-wicky-wack! Mmm- _hmm!_ "

"... let's hope there's a _third_ option." Noriko snorted, sarcastically. And the trio continued to discuss Sooraya's date. "So, what are you going to _wear?_ , girl?"

"Well, actually..." Sooraya knelt down on the floor and pulled a small box out from underneath her bunk. Inside was an assortment of decorative corsages. "I like the one with the _red flower_ in the center with _white ones_ around it, but Mrs. Mardon says she likes the one with _three different blues_." Cisco and Noriko shared a perplexed glance.

"But what are you _wearing?_ " Noriko motioned at her niqab.

"This." She replied, simply, and went back to her flowers.

* * *

 **Avengers Tower, New York, NY**

After the loss of his entire country and his sister, Tod Maximoff had been offered a place with the Justice Legion. It took a while for him to adjust to his new lifestyle, but with the Flag and Emerald Man's guidance, and Mirage as his neighbor, he was beginning to feel like he finally found where he belonged. Unfortunately, due to his past reputation as a terrorist, S.H.I.E.L.D. had currently placed him on a strict probationary status. This meant that he could not leave the complex without a designated Avenger, but he didn't really mind that. Being that he was legally an adult, he would become an official member and off of probation in less than a month, making him the first official muta-human member of the JLA.

He woke up to the sound of his ringtone, and groggily got up to answer it. "Hello…? Oh, hey Damian. What's up?" He spoke happily as he made his way to the kitchen, using his powers over the shadows to move faster. "Huh? Oh, sorry, that happens when I pass through the shadowzone sometimes… Oh, you meant _like that_ … Uh-huh… No, no, I understand… No, as long as _you're_ happy. Okay… yeah." He hung up and angrily threw his phone at the nearest wall. The dark-skinned muta sat down at the kitchen counter, burying his face into his palms. His enchanted cloak worked by itself, gathering his bowl and favorite cereal as he silently cried.

When he finally grabbed his spoon, his robotic roommate casually walked through the wall. _["Good morning, Mr. Maximoff."]_

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!" Tod yelped. "Are you trying to give me a _heart attack?!_ Use the _door_ like a _person!_ "

 _["Oh… I'm sorry, Mr. Maximoff."]_ They replied, mournfully.

Tod soon calmed down. "It's fine, Mirage. And you can just call me _Tod_."

 _["As you wish, Sir Tod."]_

"No, just _Tod_." He sounded annoyed as he went back to his breakfast. After seeing the concerned look on their face, Tod sighed. "My boyfriend just _dumped_ me…"

 _["Oh…"]_ Mirage understood that ending relationships often resulted in a person feeling hurt. Thus, they prepared themselves to console their roommate.

"I mean, who does he _think_ he _is?!_ I've been with him ever since he was a _girl!_ I _supported him!_ And _this_ is how he repays me?!"

 _["This isn't about your former romantic partner, is it?"]_ Tod looked at them with a neutral glance. More often than not, he forgot that their human programming helped them understand social cues process complex emotions. He sighed and hung his head in defeat.

"No… it's _not_. Not _entirely_." He looked down at his palm, where the image of a green star once was. "I keep expecting her to just come _zipping in_ at any moment… you've seen the news lately?" Mirage nodded. "The words they use to describe me… it used to be a lot _worse_ before. I never really _cared_ when I was with the Brotherhood. Probably because I still had _Jenny_. But _without_ her… I don't know. What if they're _right_ about me? What if I'll _never_ make up my past sins?"

Mirage looked, sadly, as their friend rested his head on the table. They calculated the best response that would lift his spirits and then sat down next to him. _["Tod?"]_ They asked. He reluctantly looked up, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. _["I wish to tell you something… but I do not want you to take it the wrong way."]\_

"Well, then, tell it to me the _right way_." He suggested, nonchalantly.

 _["Very well. This_ ring _on my finger is what gave me my new sentience."]_ The magenta robot lifted their left hand for emphasis. _["It also grants me incredible power. And yet, other than that… I have_ no idea _what it is. For it is also what reactivated that_ monster _that nearly destroyed the planet. What if Ultriac-5 still exists_ inside _this ring? What if I become_ justlike him? _Simply because the_ ring _demands it?"]_

"You're _afraid_ of it?"

 _["I wish to_ understand _it."]_ They clarified. _["I believe that the more I understand it, the_ less likely _my suspicions will come true."]_ They gave a soft smile as their hand gently brushed over his. _["The people who have chided you are_ not _dissimilar. All they need is a chance to_ understand _you. And then, when they learn who you_ truly are _, they will have_ nothing _to fear."]_

"... Thanks, Mirage." Tod's mood began to brighten. "But, uh… okay, now it's _my turn_ to say something without you taking it the wrong way."

 _["Yes?"]_

"Well, I just… I feel kinda _silly_ always calling you _'Mirage'_. If your goal is _human interaction_ , you need a _real name_."

 _["Very well, what would you like to refer to me as?"]_

"Well, now, _this_ is the part I don't want you to get _offended by_ …" Tod rubbed his neck in discomfort. "Do you identify as _male_ or _female?_ "

 _["I… do not know…"]_ Mirage contemplated. _["Dr. Scott programmed Alan Hammond with masculine traits. But I am_ not _Alan Hammond. Mr. Jordan programmed Aya with feminine traits. But I am not_ Aya _, either… Do I have to choose one?"_

"Uh, no, but, uh…" Tod chuckled. "Does this mean you use… _non-_ binary coding?" The dark muta held his stomach as he laughed at his own joke. But when he noticed the confused look on his friend's face, he straightened himself. "Ahem… all jokes aside; _no_ , it's perfectly _fine_ not to choose. Okay, let's see. What is an appropriate gender-neutral name for a purple non-binary robot who can fly through walls?" Tod thought for a while before he glanced at the shiny metal that covered his friend's synthetic skin. "How about… _Silver?_ "

Mirage's eyes narrowed as they rubbed their chin, contemplating the option. At last, _["You may call me 'Silver' if you like."]_

"Great! Silver it is." He smiled, and the two allies made their way to the tower's living room. Silver handed him the remote and he used Jordan's high-tech television to look up classic Looney Tunes. Halfway through the famous "Duck Season" bit, another premonition flashed through Darkstar's mind that made him shudder. Something bad was about to happen to the X-Patrol; possibly their worst crisis yet.

"Uh, _Silver?_ " His friend turned their head to face him. "Can you please take me to Westchester?"

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Cataclysm(Apocalypse/Vandal Savage)**

 **Author's note: I made an oopsie in the previous chapter when I described Mirage's appearance. She looks like Aya from the Green Lantern cartoon but with purple where her green should be, and silver where her white parts should be.**


	61. Cataclysm part 1

**Chapter XXII: Cataclysm! Part 1**

 _Chay-Ara silently stalked her master through the sublevels of his monument. Cataclysm led her lover, Khufu, to the mysterious pyramid in the center of the room. En Savage Nurr laid him down on one of the tables and placed him under a hypnotic spell. Khufu was now helpless as his master laid down on his own table and began the ritual that would place his soul into the slave's body._

 _("I call upon the wonders of the infinite… give me the power, I beg of you!") The infamous pyramid began to glow with a tantalizing yellow energy._ _Chay-Ara was horrified at the sight of such a process, but she steeled her nerves and readied her weapon. "En Savage Nurr, cumba kallator Khufu! Ra hiti nuh shamballa! Caro! Caro! Car-!"_

 _("Death to the false god!") Chay-Ara lunged towards the glowing pedestal and smashed the pyramid away. The ritual was interrupted, and the yellow energy faded away from Khufu and attacked Cataclysm. As the two lovers embraced, their former master's soul was engulfed in the foreboding energy and began to succumb to his own power._

 _("This is not the end!") He bellowed. ("I shall not perish! I will_ return _one day! And until I do, you_ both _will pay with your lives!")_

 _The vengeful spirit struck the yellow energy into their bodies, granting them both a varying form of immortality. But the pain was almost unbearable. As Khufu struggled to find his footing, the yellow energy continued to bombard them both. Chay-Ara's body began to decompose rapidly as she reached out for her beloved's hand._

 _("Whatever may happen to us…!") She cried. ("My soul will find_ yours! _")_

 _("A-and… mine_ yours! _") They held each other's hand as the empathic attack reached its peak and the curse was complete._

 _The first thing Khufu saw when he awoke was two motionless bodies. Their plan had succeeded; Cataclysm was now trapped within his own soul. But the price was almost too high. Chay-Ara was now gone, and all that remained was the beautiful dove necklace she once wore. Grief-stricken, Khufu unleashed the talons between his knuckles and plunged them into his stomach, hoping to join his lover in the afterlife._

 _But when he removed the claws, he did not bleed. Much to his astonishment, the wound quickly healed, leaving no scars or damage. He looked down at the dove necklace in his palm, on the back, he found an inscription. ("The dove shall be reborn only to die, until the immortal hawk comes to her aide once more.")_

 _Khufu now had a new quest. He would continue to walk the Earth, looking for his love in whatever form she had taken, and at last they could be together. Additionally, he took the pyramid and hid it away, never to be seen again. But what he did not know was that if they were ever reunited, the curse would not only be over for them, but for Cataclysm as well._

* * *

Shayera woke up, caked in a fine sheen of sweat. Her dreams were becoming much more intense with every passing night. She had had dreams of this man many times before, each one during different times in history. However, this was different in three separate ways: First, this dream revealed his name; second, it explained how he had been alive for so many centuries; and lastly, it was the only dream where she appeared in it. She had often gone to the Chief for help, but not even he could explain the origin of these bizarre visions.

After a few minutes of trying to decipher her thoughts, the numbness in her wings finally hit her. "Ow… _needles, needles…_ " She muttered. She got out of bed and flapped them a couple times, desperately trying to wake them up. Suddenly, she glanced down at her clock and noticed what time it was. "Oh, my God, I'm _late!_ " She hurried to put on her workout clothes and soared through the hallways towards the school's gymnasium. But as she made her way down the halls, she peeked through one of the classroom windows and saw students weren't at their desks.

"Shayera!" Bobbi soon found her, grabbed her wrist, and led her to the teacher's lounge. "We may need you on standby!"

"What?" Shayera was glad her friend did chaste her for oversleeping, but she was, otherwise, confused about the current situation. "Wait, what;s going on?"

"Didn't you hear the announcement over the intercom?" Bobbi explained. "Lilith says she saw a naked man running onto the campus, screaming at the top of his lungs. She saw him hide in the pool house when she got back inside. The faculty's watching over the kids in the classrooms and Ray's going to try to find him. But we need to be ready, in case this is a _trap_."

Meanwhile, Blaster adjusted his visor to non-lethal, ready to fire at the intruder. He carefully made his way into the pool house, checking under all of the tables and behind every box. At the sound of someone else's breath, he instinctively spun around to fire, but stopped himself just in time. The man was hugging his legs to his chest, his head resting on his knees as his hair covered his face.

"Uh… sir?" Blaster relaxed, slightly. "Are… are you _alright?_ "

"...No… no, I'm _not_ …" He answered, shakily.

"Who _are_ you?"

"...I don't _know_ … I've been… I've been running for _weeks_ … I-I heard that… this was a _safe place_ for me… for _muta-humans_ …"

Ray finally took his hand off of the visor and offered to help the man up. He was still skeptical of the situation, but for now, he was willing to give the man the benefit of the doubt. "Come inside. Maybe some of my old clothes will fit you. Oh, but, uh… put _this on_ , first." He tossed his guest a towel. "We teach kids of _all ages_. Last thing we need is for you to go in there and _scar_ them for _life_."

By the time the man was clothed and in Xavier's office, classes had resumed as scheduled. The paraplegic professor was joined by Ray and Lilith as he spoke with their new guest. "So, my friend… what brings you here?"

"I don't know…" He replied. He reached under his new shirt and pulled out two necklaces he had been wearing. One of them appeared to be a military dog tag with a name engraved on it. "I was wearing these when I woke up in the facility… Carter Howlett. I guess _that's_ my name."

"Facility?" Lilith sounded worried. " _What_ facility?"

"I can't remember…" Carter held his head, tightly. "All I remember is waking up in a _tank_. Some doctors were sticking _tubes_ into my body. I think… I think _they_ did this to me…"

"You said you were a _muta-human_." Ray spoke up. "What makes you think that?"

Without saying anything, Carter rolled up on of his sleeves and made a fist with his other hand. Three curved claws coated in a shining metal sprouted from in between his knuckles, and he used them to cut his arm. Miraculously, the self-inflicted wound began to close up at a rapid pace.

Lilith inspected his arm with astonishment. "There isn't even a _scar_."

"Lilith, Raymond… please give me a moment alone with Mr. Howlett." The teachers left the room, and the Headmaster was left with the new muta. "Mr. Howlett, I am an _Alpha-level_ muta-human telepath. With your permission, I can probe your mind to see if I can _uncover_ your lost memories."

Carter shifted uncomfortably, he didn't like the idea of someone entering his own mind. But as of now, he didn't have any other choice. Niles had him lie down on the couch and close his eyes. Then, the elderly muta placed his fingers on the sides of his temples, searching for the earliest memory that he could find.

Later, Carter had fallen asleep from the mental exhaustion, so Niles quietly wheeled himself out of the room. "Well, Chief, did it work?"

"No, I'm afraid _not_ , Lilith."

"Why not? What's wrong?"

"It's something I've _never encountered_ before. I can't restore his former memories because they aren't simply _buried_ or _locked away_ … they're _gone_. It is as if his _entire life_ prior to waking up in that facility he mentioned didn't even _exist_."

"What?" Ray sounded shocked. "How is that even _possible?_ You don't suppose somebody _deliberately_ took his memories away, do you?"

"I have a _theory_ , Raymond, and I hope that I am _wrong_." Niles wheeled over to his desk and pressed a button that went down to the lower levels of the school. The three muta-humans made their way to the large computer that could enhance Xavier's power. "Despite your heroic deeds in saving the president, it seems there are still those who fear us. If what Mr. Howlett has told us is true, I believe someone is trying to _weaponize_ muta-humans."

Lilith cupped her hands over her mouth and ran out of the room in fear. Ray could tell by the look in her eyes that she was going to find their son. His own mind slowly began to connect the dots between his mentor's theory and Howlett. "You think these people were trying turn him into a _living weapon_ because of his powers… but he probably didn't _want_ to be a weapon so they tried to erase his mind..."

" _Precisely,_ Raymond." Niles confirmed. "The mental image I captured from Mr. Howlett's mind matches the landscape of the Canadian Rockies. I want you to take Shayera and Henry to investigate. If we can gather any evidence of this sinister experimentation, we can report it to the Canadian government and prevent this from happening to _anyone else_."

* * *

Later that evening, Ororo and Edward were helping the Refugees prepare for the dance. Just Edward helped Cisco with his bow tie while Ororo brushed Noriko's hair. Sooraya had discovered an old yearbook from 2009 when she found a picture of their mentors. She showed the picture to the rest of the group and the elder mutas blushed brightly.

"Oh, _my!_ " Ororo beamed. "We were so _young_ back then, weren't we?"

"Why, my dear, you have not aged a _day!_ " Edward replied with a suave expression. "It feels like just _yesterday_ we shared our _first dance_ together." The two began to move gracefully in each other's arms, blissfully reminiscing about their younger years. As Edward brought his lover in for a kiss, they became aware of their students.

"Eheh, sorry. We got caught up in the moment." Edward blushed. "Cisco, shouldn't we be setting up your equipment for tonight?" As the boys exited the small dorm, Ororo went back to the girls.

"I'm very _pleased_ to hear that William accepted your proposal, Sooraya." She smiled as she adjusted the corsage. "This is a sign that humans are beginning to _accept_ us."

"Eh, personally I think she could do _better_." The African-Japanese girl received two glares in return for her comment. "Well, she _could_." She shrugged. Ororo rolled her eyes and straightened out the wrinkles in Sooraya's niqab. Then, she went to help with the rest of the preparations. "I _still_ can't believe you're not gonna put on something _better_ for your man, Nimbus."

"I'll have you _know_ it is against my religion to show anyone other than my _husband_ my skin." Sooraya said, importantly.

"Well, you better make sure _he_ knows that."

"...what do you mean?"

Noriko felt her mouth twitch into a smirk. She loved her roommates like a family, but that didn't stop her from teasing them from time to time. "Well, honey, he _is_ a _boy_. And at this age, they begin to feel some pretty _strong feelings_ for a girl. Especially down _here_." She motioned her hands to her crotch for emphasis. "But, what do _I_ know? Well, ta-ta, Nimbus! I'm off to find some booty for _myself_ , tonight."

As Noriko walked away, Sooraya sat down on her bunk, thinking about what she had said. But, Billy would never pressure her into going so far. Would he?

* * *

A few minutes later, Ororo and Edward met up again at their room. They both needed to grab a few more things before the festivities began, but what they found instead caught them both by surprise. Tod Maximoff, their former student, stood in silence next to a humanoid being as the teachers gazed at him. "...heeeeeey…" He tried.

In the meantime, Blaster, Creature, and Dove were getting ready for their mission when Carter woke up. Still feeling groggy, the man stumbled upon the elevator to the school's lower levels. He marveled at the incredible technology that surrounded him, but he thought that the uniforms in the display cases looked ridiculous.

"Hey!" Carter barely had time to turn around when the fist collided with his face. He looked up to see the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He was expecting her to hit him again for trespassing, but instead she only gaped at him. "It's _you_ …" she mumbled.

"Shayera, stop!" Creature rushed up and extended his hand to Carter.

"WHAT THE HELL IS _THAT?!_ " Carter was startled by Hank's scaly appearance, he moved back and extended his talons. Shayera gasped again at the sight of his claws.

"NO! Stop!" She got between the men before any harm could be done. "Who _are_ you?"

"I'm Carter…" He answered, slowly retracting his claws. At last, she saw the two necklaces around his neck. "It _is_ you…" She breathed.

"Do… do I _know you?_ " Carter asked.

"You're the man from my _dreams_. The man who travels around the world alone… looking for _me_." Then, she touched Carter's hand.

A brilliant yellow light sparked out from both of their bodies, which illuminated the entire room and passed through the ceiling into the night sky. "What the _hell?!_ " Carter rubbed his eyes.

"Shayera, are you _okay?_ " Blaster helped her back on her feet.

"I _remember_ …"Shayera gasped. "My dreams… they were trying to _remind me_ … you… you're my _lover_... We are the _Hawk and the Dove_ …" And she began to explain what the light had shown her.

But what no one knew at the time was that the light had traveled around the world to Egypt. It passed through the ground towards a buried palace. En Savage Nurr was bathed in the radiant glow of yellow energy, reenergizing his systems and reactivating his brain. His eyes opened to see his tomb, and his lungs finally inhaled their first breath in centuries. Struggling to get up, his joints cracked and strained from years of inactivity. At last, he regained his composure and manipulated the sand that had buried him away. When he reached the surface, he was excited. He closed his eyes to sense the nearest muta-human, only to find that there were thousands of muta-humans all over the globe.

("At _last_ …") He smiled. (Cataclysm has _come_ …")

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Carter Howlett aka Hawk(Wolverine/Hawkman)**


	62. Cataclysm part 2

**Chapter XXII: Cataclysm! Part 2**

 **Westchester, New York**

Ororo and Edward, the University's second most famous couple after Ray and Lilith, had always dreamed of starting a family. Unfortunately, Ororo was an Alpha-level muta-human, while Edward was a Beta-level. Due to their conflicting muta-genes, it was impossible for them to have children of their own, but that didn't stop them from trying to start a family. Many years ago, they had taken a strong liking to a pair of Markovian twins and offered to be their surrogate parents. Needless to say, it broke their hearts when they ran away to join Deathstroke's Brotherhood. And now, here they stood before one of the twins in their private bedroom.

Tod crossed his arms, keeping a neutral look on his face. "Ororo… Edward…"

"Tod…" They responded in unison. For what felt like hours, the trio just stared at each other as the synthetic human remained silent. "We heard you're with the _Justice Legion_ , now." Edward said at last.

"Yep. You guys still _teaching_ here?" Ororo nodded, calmly. " _Good, good_."

"So…"

"So…"

 _["Apologies, but we have now been staring at each other with aggressive expressions on our faces for approximately three minutes now."]_ Mirage chimed in. _["Tod insisted that he had something_ important _to tell you."]_

"I'm sorry, _who are you?_ " Ororo turned to the robot.

"This is _Silver_." Tod introduced. "Silver, uh… _Hammond_."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, but we have a _dance_ to prepare for. So, what do you want to say?"

"Nice to see you, _too_ , Ed." Tod sneered.

"Hey, don't get _angry_ with _us_." Ororo warned. " _You_ left _us_ , remember?"

"Oh, _here we go!_ " Tod threw his hands in the air, exasperated. " _Again_ with how I _gave up_ on being a _family!_ "

"You _did_ give up on being a family!" Edward snapped back. "We offered you _love!_ We offered you _guidance!_ And you just _turned us down!_ "

"You kept making promises you couldn't keep!" Tod defended himself. "You told me 'be good, and good will follow.' But we were good for _years_ and nothing _happened!_ "

"Something _did_ happen! " Ororo retorted. "In Washington! We saved lives! We _changed minds!_ "

"No, you _didn't!_ People still _hate_ and _fear us!_ It's just harder for you to tell because now they're more _polite!_ "

"Did you want to tell us something or _not?!_ "

"Yes! I had a vision that something _very, very bad_ is gonna happen involving the X-Patrol, and I just wanted to make sure you guys'll be _alright!_ "

"Okay! Thank you for the _concern!_ "

"You're _welcome!_ " Tod angrily grabbed Silver's wrist and headed out the door. "C'mon, Silver, let's go _home_."

"Hey, wait…" Edward's calmer tone made Tod stop dead in his tracks, and the dark muta prayed he would not finish that sentence. "Where's Jennifer-Lynn?"

"That's _right_ …" Ororo's frustration washed away, replaced with curious concern. "You two are usually _tied at the hip._ "

"... I don't wanna talk about it." He started walking again, but they followed him down the hallway.

"Tod… _where's_ Jennifer?" Ororo tried again. This time, when he stopped, he silently sent Silver to the car, which they did without arguing. Tod sighed and his shoulder's slumped down. He turned to face his would-be foster parents; a mournful expression plastered on his face.

"Jenny's _dead_ …" He muttered.

"Oh…" Edward and Ororo felt a great swell of grief in their chests. In spite of everything, they still thought of the twins as their own. To hear that one of them had died was a heartbreaking. "We… we didn't _know_." Edward softly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, well…" Tod shifted in place, but he was too tired to argue anymore. His eyes looked swollen from all the previous tears he'd shed, his breaths were heavy, and his tone showed no hint of aggression. "Now, you _do_." He nodded at them both one last time, flashing a sad smile as he went out the door. "It _was_ nice seeing you again. Be _careful_."

* * *

Meanwhile, Billy Lawson had finally arrived at the school. Fawcett City, Connecticut was at least one hour away from the University, but he didn't really mind the ride on the train. Of course, he had a much faster way of travelling, but the Wizard had warned him about abusing the power within his bracelets. He was wearing a neat dress suit with a red blazer, a bow tie, and a sincere smile. Reading the directions he'd written down, earlier, he finally bumped into Noriko.

"Oh, _hey_ , sexy…" She purred. "Your girl's waiting for you in _there_."

"Thanks, Noriko!" Billy's smile grew wider as he walked over to the door she'd pointed to. He knocked on the door frame, even though the door was wide open.

"Come in." Sooraya invited. Billy was speechless as his eyes met with hers. The Afghan girl always looked stunning whenever he saw her, even if he could only see her eyes. "I got these for you." He moved his hand out from behind his back and presented a beautiful bouquet of roses.

"Oh, Billy! They're _lovely!_ " She took the flowers and set them down on the nightstand by her bunk. But she was still feeling very nervous about what Noriko had told her.

"What's the matter?" Billy noticed something was wrong and sat down beside her.

"Billy…" She started. "Have you ever had friends who became… _intimate_ with each other?"

"Intimate?" Billy's mind tried to process what she meant. At last, "Oh…! Uh, _yeah_ , I knew this _one_ kid from my old school who went on a date with his girlfriend. And then, they, uh… they ended up having a _baby_ together…"

"Oh…" Sooraya's blush could be seen through the dark fabric.

"B-but, that won't happen to _us!_ " Billy assured her, blushing just as brightly. "W-we're not _like that!_ I-I _know_ we're not like that! Well, I mean, we _could be_. _Eventually_. But, n-not before you're _ready!_ I'd _never_ make you do something that you didn't _want to!_ "

Billy and Sooraya looked away from each other for a moment. "H-how about some _music?_ " He tried and reached for Cisco's radio.

*click* _"I am the Wild One, break me in! Saddle me up, and let's begin!"_ *click* _"Yeah, you, shook me all night long!"_ *click* _"Touch me like you do! Ta-ta-touch me like you do!"_ *click*

"Y-you wanna just go to the _dance?_ " Billy's face was now beet-red.

"That would be _nice_ …" Sooraya coughed. Together, they walked into the gymnasium, only to find it crowded. Billy was ready to go inside, but Sooraya looked down at her feet in discomfort.

"Are you okay?" Billy rubbed her shoulders, trying to ease her obvious anxiety.

"I… I don't know if I'm _ready_ for this… there's _so many_ people here… I-I'm not _used_ to this…"

"This is _my_ fault…" Billy sighed.

"What are you talking about…?" Sooraya forgot about her jitters and looked at her friend. She didn't understand why he would blame himself for how she felt.

"I should have just _asked you out_ …" Billy smiled softly and looked into her eyes. "Do you wanna _go out_ with me?" Sooraya beamed brightly and the couple made their way outside.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, in the X-Patrol's airship**

Carter Howlett could not believe the day he was having. Here he was, riding in a strange jet with a group of muta-humans, returning to the place he had spent the last few weeks running away from, and now, a winged woman was telling him the most unbelievable story.

"We were born in ancient Egypt under the rule of a King named En Savage Nurr." Shayera narrated. "Long ago, he discovered a strange device of _incredible power_. Supposedly, it gave him the power he needed to become the most powerful being in the world. He was the _first_."

"The first _what?_ " Blaster asked.

"The first _muta-human_." She answered. "But after a time, it wouldn't give _him_ powers anymore. So, he used it to grant powers to _others_ and then he would transfer _his own soul_ into their bodies, retaining his _previous powers_ along with him."

"And you think _we_ were the ones who killed him?" Carter sounded skeptical.

"Yes…" She continued. "And after I _died_ , I was reincarnated _over_ and _over_ again while _you_ were given _immortality_. We've been _cursed_ to walk the Earth in _search_ of each other for _centuries_. And now.. We finally _have_."

"...Uh, _no_." Carter shook his head. "No, no, no. I did _not_ sign up for this. I wanted _help_ not a _fairytale_."

"But we _can_ help you!"

"You don't even _know_ me!"

"Hey!" Creature called out from the cockpit. "We are mere _moments away_ from an intense scuffle with an enemy we know _nothing_ about! I would _appreciate it_ , if you didn't _add_ to my stress levels with your _incessant prattling!_ We can talk about this _later!_ "

The remainder of the flight was spent in silence until they were shot down by an unseen force. Dove grabbed onto the group and did her best to slow down their descent. When they landed, they found themselves surrounded by a militia of mercenaries. They didn't waist any time in firing at the muta-human heroes. Creature dove in front of his friends, letting the strong tranquilizers knock him unconscious.

Blaster quickly retaliated, using the full force of his optic blasts to carve out the cliffside. The soldiers took evasive action, trying to get to where he couldn't see them. At last, he was gunned down as well. Dove and Carter stood back-to-back, making sure that no one could sneak up on them. When they saw their enemy, they attacked without restraint; using their power to beat, break, and bruise the soldiers.

As Carter used his talons to slash through his enemies, he was in awe at the sight of Dove fighting. Even while beating an armored man to a pulp, she looked beautiful. But he was suddenly snapped back to reality by a sharp prick in his thigh. One of the tranquilizers had pierced his skin, filling his veins with the paralyzing toxin. He ripped out the needle and fell to his knees.

"Carter!" Dove cried out. Her guard was down for only a second, but it was long enough to be hit with a tranquilizer. She fell to the ground, unable to fight.

"No!" Carter reached out to her, hoping that he could still save them all.

"Well, well, well…" A voice called. Carter saw a rugged man with one hand approach him. He was dressed up in a sharp military uniform and wore dark sunglasses over his eyes. "We thought we'd _lost you_ , Carter. Welcome _home_."

"You… you're the _bastard_ who did this to me…" Carter snarled.

"Yes, I _did_." Wade Stryker smiled, sinisterly. "And now, I'm going to _finish_ the job."

* * *

Back at the school, Billy and Sooraya were enjoying each other's company as they sat down by the school's fountain. Billy held out his phone, flipping through picture after picture of his beloved family. Sooraya was very surprised when she found out that he came from a big foster family, and she loved seeing him surrounded by so many happy faces.

"And this is from little Rosie's ninth birthday last month!" He chuckled at the picture of a dark-haired girl eating cake. "She was _so happy_ that we got her _blood pudding_ for her cake. She _loves_ all that creepy, spooky stuff."

"I hope I can _meet them_ someday, Billy." Sooraya sighed. "It must be so _nice_ to have people you can call _family_."

"Well, _you've_ got that, too." Billy stated. "You've got _Noriko_ , and _Cisco_ , and _Mr. Wagner_ , and _Mrs. Mardon_." Sooraya looked surprised; she'd never thought of it like that before, but Billy continued. "I may not be the _smartest kid_ in the world. But I know a _family_ when I see one."

Suddenly, a helicopter flew over the campus and a group of armed men stormed inside, startling the young couple. The militia had one mission: gather as many muta-humans as they could, and kill any witnesses. The music in the gymnasium came to an abrupt halt, replaced with the loud noise of gunfire. Billy and Sooraya were too far away to reach the school, but not far enough to be spotted by one of the soldiers.

"Hey, you!" They both ran away, trying to hide.

Meanwhile, Tod had just finished his argument with Edward and Ororo and was making his way to the car with Silver. But at the sound of the first gunshot, he immediately spun on his heels, waving his arms as he cast the spell.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" The whole school was eclipsed with Darkstar's black magic. The shadowzone acted as protective barrier that slowed time down to a crawl. He used his muta-powers to pass through the shadows and teleport into the school.

As time continued, slowly, he pulled students and faculty into the interdimensional portals. But while he teleported them to safety, he also took the time to make sure that the soldiers would be incapacitated when the spell wore off. He chuckled as he moved their arms and legs into positions that would make them hit each other. At last, he got the last student to safety and lifted the spell. Everyone was surprised to see that they were no longer in the school, and even more so that the shooting appeared to have stopped.

"Wow… is that how _Jenny_ felt?" He wondered out loud.

Meanwhile, Billy and Sooraya were still running for their lives as the mercenary chased them. Just as they reached the gate, another soldier popped out from the bushes and aimed his rifle at them. Sooraya shifted into her sand-form, ready to fight, but the man grabbed Billy and held his gun to his head.

"Ah, ah, ah! You don't want me to hurt your _boyfriend_ , do you?"

"Leave her alone!" Billy snapped.

Sooraya had no choice. She returned to her human-form and let the other pursuer place the restraints over her hands. "What about _this_ brat? He ain't a _muta_."

"General Stryker says _no witnesses_."

The soldier threw Billy to the ground, aiming his gun directly at his head. "Sucks to be _you_. Any last _words?_ "

"Just one…" Billy smiled as he held his bracelets together. "SH'ZAM!" The sky cracked open, sending a blinding flash of lightning crash into the ground. When the spots finally disappeared from everyone's vision, the mercenaries gasped at the sight of a tall, muscular man in a brightly-colored costume.

"What the-?! Where'd that _kid_ go?!"

"I'll look _into that_." Captain Thunder grabbed the villain by the scruff of his neck and lifted him into the air with ease. "Right after I do _this_." Thunder threw his captive at the other mercenary, freeing Sandstorm from his grasp. "Sooraya! Holy moley, are you _alright?!_ "

"... _Billy?_ " The Afghan muta looked completely flabbergasted. "Is that _really_ you?"

"Uh… _yeah_. It's a _long story_." He blushed. "I'll explain _later_. Let's go check on your friends."

 **To Be Continued!**


	63. Cataclysm part 3

**Chapter XXII: Cataclysm! Part 3**

Captain Thunder had reverted back to Billy Lawson before he and Sooraya returned to the school. They were surprised to see that everyone was gathered outside, away from danger. Edward was the first to spot them, and immediately teleported over to them, hugging Sooraya tight. Not long after, Ororo and the other Refugees joined him.

"Thank _God_ , you're safe!" Edward cried. "Where were you?"

"You'll _never_ believe this!" Sooraya was ecstatic, despite the circumstances. "Billy and I were out taking a walk because I was a little nervous about going to the dance, and he showed me pictures of his family, and we saw a helicopter flying towards the school, so we rushed over to see what happened, and we were ambushed by two men with guns, and I tried to attack them, but they took Billy hostage, and at first I thought that they were going to hurt them, but then out of _nowhere_ he-!"

The Afghan girl looked over to her boyfriend before she finished her sentence. She noticed the worried look on his face as he slowly shook his head, holding a finger over his lips. "Uh… he, uh… _stomped_ on the man's foot and pushed him over." She finished. "That gave me an opportunity to incapacitate them both."

"Oh, _wow_." Noriko sounded impressed. "Way to _go_ , Nimbus, you got yourself a _real hero_."

"Yes… yes, I _do_." She smiled and gave Billy a sly wink, which he returned.

After seeing that everyone was safe, Ororo and Edward made their way over to Darkstar. "I take it we have _you_ to thank for saving us."

" _Eh_ , no big deal..." Tod tucked his hands into his pockets, trying to hide his smile.

"Well, we are very grateful _regardless_ , Tod." the Chief wheeled up to the group. "Tempest, Nightcaster, I have lost my psychic link with Blaster and his team. I need you both to go with Omen and rescue them."

"Right away, Chief." Edward nodded. He and his wife made sure that the Refugees were safe and then set off for the second airship.

"Oh, _no you don't!_ " Tod shouted and followed his former teachers.

 _["Tod! Wait for me!"]_ Mirage grabbed their friend by the wrist. _["You are not permitted to go anywhere_ without _me!"]_

"Sorry, toots…" Darkstar breathed his hypnotic breath into their face. "But I don't need _permission_ to redeem myself!" He pulled his hand free and used the shadowzone to teleport into the airship just as it was taking off into the air. "Ha! Nobody tells _me_ how to help people!"

 _["To coin a phrase…"]_ A robotic voice chirped, startling Tod. _["'What's_ up _, doc?'"]_

Mirage had flown up to the ship, phased through the hull, and was now staring directly at their friend with a smug smile. Tod's brow furrowed and he crossed his arms. "You're _despicable_." He muttered. But he didn't stay angry for long, he sat down next to Ororo while Edward piloted the ship. Lately, he had wanted to ask either of them a very important question, and he knew that if he didn't ask now, he'd never get another chance. "Um, Ororo? Was… was Deathgrip _really_ one of your teachers?"

"Yes." She answered.

"Was he… was he always… y'know… a _bad guy?_ "

"No…" She sounded puzzled. "Why? You're not thinking about going _back_ to him, are you?"

"What? _No_ … it's just that, uh… well, _y'see_ , I, uh…" He coughed into his fist and looked down at his feet. "... he's my father."

The airship lurched out of control for a split second. Luckily, Omen used her telekinetic powers to steady the control-stick. Then, everyone's gaze fell upon the dark-skinned muta; even Mirage looked shocked.

" _WHAT?!_ "

" _Yeeeeah…_ " He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Y-your fa…" Ororo couldn't believe her ears. "How is that even _possible?_ "

"Well, he and my _mom_ , they-" Tod made a crude gesture with his hands.

"We _understand_ that…" Ororo pinched in-between her eyebrows. "But… are you _certain?_ "

"Pretty _sure_ …" Tod nodded. "I didn't find out until after the Brotherhood disbanded. I tried to _tell him_ , but I was _too late_. Funny; I guess me and Jenny _were_ exact opposites…" He sighed, sadly. "She was always _so fast_ … and I'm always _too late_."

" _Next time_ …" Ororo rubbed his shoulder in a comforting fashion. "We'll make sure that you _aren't_."

"We're coming up on Blaster's _coordinates_." Nightcaster announced. The group readied themselves for an intense fight, knowing that this organization might be their worst fight ever. But before the ship even touched the ground, Mirage noticed something approaching from the distance.

 _["Interesting… there appears to be a projectile approaching the enemies facility at an alarming speed."]_

"In _English_ , please?" Tod asked.

 _["They are under attack."]_

* * *

" _We are on the verge of_ history _, gentlemen." Wade Stryker commented to the scientists. "If the world's governments don't want to_ eradicate _muta-humans, we will_ use them _to our_ advantage _."_

 _The experiment glared, angrily, through the reinforced glass tank that the militia had him trapped inside. He struggled to free himself as the procedure continued, drilling into this flesh and pumping a strange liquid metal into his body. The metal coated his entire skeleton; his body was wracked with pain as it fused to his bones. When the process was complete, he instinctively released his talons._

" _General Stryker!" One scientist shrieked. "Something's wrong! He's_ breaking free! _"_

 _The tormented man crashed through the glass, snarling like a wild animal as he clawed at the people surrounding him. Then, he turned his attention to the masterminds behind the window. Stryker had just gotten his gun out of it's holster in time and fired at his captive's head. The bullets tore away his skin, but ricocheted off of his now-unbreakable skull._

" _Guards! Guards!" The veteran called out for help, but it was no use. The man jumped through the window and sliced Stryker's arm clean off. As the general fell to his knees, blood spraying everywhere, the captive continued to claw and cut his way out of his prison. He looked around at the onslaught left in his wake, caused by the deadly weapons the sinister soldiers had put in his body._

 _He screamed in fury and exited the terrible laboratory. He was now alone, with no idea of who he was or where he came from. All he could do was run._

Carter woke up with a start. Cursing under his breath, he found that he was in the same facility once more. He was trapped in a large cage, with chains wrapped around his wrists, waist, ankles, and neck. He pulled at the restraints but they wouldn't break.

"A cage _is_ the proper place for a _beast_ , don't you think?" Carter turned to see the same one-armed man that had captured him.

"You… you took away my _memories_ … my _life!_ " Carter snarled and lunged forward, to no avail.

"Yes…" Stryker went on. "It was an _unfortunate_ side-effect of the process. You see, that metal we fused to your skeleton is a _special alloy_ comprised of Nth metal and Adamantium. When we fused it to your skull, your mind suffered a _painful feedback_ that fried your brain, taking your memories _with it_. We _could_ restore them… but where's the fun in _that_. Soon, we'll find a way to do the same to your _new friends_. And then your kind will _finally_ make a real contribution to America."

Carter looked down at his restraints again, then back at Stryker. "You should've _killed me_ when you had the chance. Because I'm gonna _get outta here_ … I'm gonna _kill all of them_ … and _then_ , I'm gonna _cut off your goddamn head_."

Stryker sniggered. "Oh, _Carter_ … by the time I'm done with you, you won't even remember _this conversation_. I've erased your life _before_ , and I'm going to do it _again_. All you'll know is; you belong to _us_ , now."

When the handicapped general left, Carter went back to pulling at his restraints. Suddenly, he heard screaming coming from down the hallway. The foundation of the laboratory shook violently as the sound of gunfire got closer and closer. At last, a blue-skinned man dressed in heavy armor broke the giant steel door down, with Stryker's neck held tightly in his grasp.

("At _last_ …") He grinned. ("The _hawk_ …")

"Let me guess, I'm supposed to know _you_ , too?" Carter continued to strain his muscles.

("After so many years… the ritual can be complete… _you_ are the only piece I need left… to be… _invincible_.") Cataclysm motioned his hand in front of the cage, melting the solid steel bars into liquid puddles. "Now… _where_ is the pyramid?"

" _What_ pyramid?" Carter asked. Cataclysm forcefully lifted Carter into the air.

"Don't play _coy_ with me, Khufu!" The all-powerful muta sneered. "You _stole_ the source of my grand power! The very thing that _created_ beings such as ourselves! Now, _where is it!_ "

A thick, dark, blackness shrouded the entire room, forcing everything to freeze in time. Darkstar poked his head through on of the shadows and casually walked over to Cataclysm. " _Hmph_." He smirked and delivered a powerful blow to the older muta's jaw. Cataclysm flew into one of the shadows and flew out of a different one, leaving him vulnerable to another punch from Darkstar.

This went on until Cataclysm used his own power to repel the shadowzone and confront Darkstar one-on-one. The Egyptian muta-human broke both of Tod's wrists so that he couldn't use his spells. But just as he was about to kill the young man, a bolt of lightning struck Cataclysm directly in the back.

The X-Patrol quickly entered the room and were prepared to fight. "Dove, how do we stop him?!"

"He has many powers, but he's not _invincible!_ " She answered. "We just have to keep _hitting him_ until he _breaks!_ "

With that said, everyone gathered used their unique powers to defend each other from Cataclysm's attacks, while also making sure to hit him with everything they had. At first, they didn't seem to be doing any damage at all, and Cataclysm swatted them aside like insects with his immense strength. The muta-heroes were shocked as he displayed powers of flight, strength, speed, shapeshifting, and mastery over matter.

Cataclysm manipulated the ground beneath everyone, encasing them in solid stone. Carter saw that they were suffering and rose to his feet again. He desperately tried to claw them out, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't free them.

"No!" He cried. "You _son of a bitch!_ Let them _go!_ " He swiped at Cataclysm, but the Egyptian king caught his fist before impact.

"Tell me where the pyramid is, and I'll let them _live_."

"I-I don't _know_ what you're talking about!"

Cataclysm raised his hand, making the rocks crush the X-Patrol in a tighter grip. "NO! Please, _stop!_ " Carter begged.

"This is _your_ doing, Khufu!" Cataclysm shoved his hand into Carter, grabbing his spine. "I grow _tired_ of asking, so it shall be for the _last time:_ WHERE IS THE-"

Suddenly, En Savage Nurr felt a strange presence. Something that was very similar to the pyramid. Relaxing his grip on the X-Patrol, he turned around to see Mirage calmly walking towards him, their eyes and mouth glowing with a brilliant magenta energy. He tried to capture them in the same trap, but it wasn't working; they simply passed right through them.

They aimed their Ring at the ancient muta and fired a powerful beam into his chest. Cataclysm choked and gagged as the power began to tear him apart. It was enough of a distraction to make him fully release the X-Patrol. Blaster, Omen, and Tempest didn't waist any time; they added their own power to Mirage's blast, the noise beginning to drown out the sound of Nurr's screaming.

Finally, Cataclysm's body dissolved into dust, ending the nightmare forever. Carter got up as quickly as he could and rushed to help Dove. She had broken one of her wings and sprained her ankle, so he carefully picked her up and they followed the others out to the airship.

"W- _wait!_ " He heard a voice gasp. General Stryker lay on the cold floor, slowly bleeding to death. "S- _save me!_ I _order you_ to save me!" Carter and Shayera both looked down at him in disgust. "Who has the answers you're _looking for_ , Carter? Me, or those _freaks?_ "

Carter looked down at the duel necklaces around his neck; the only things he had left of his past. Then he looked at Shayera. He firmly yanked the necklaces off and threw them at Stryker'. "I'll take my chances with _them_."

"This isn't _over!_ Do you _hear me?!_ " Stryker spluttered in fury. "One day! Some one will _finish_ what I've _started! ONE DAY!_ " Shayera looked over Carter's shoulder to flip the general the bird.

* * *

 **One Day Later**

Creature had gathered enough information they needed to have the rogue military unit placed in federal custody. The school hadn't sustained any serious damage, so classes resumed as scheduled. But early that morning, Ororo and Edward had delayed their classes to speak with Tod.

"Are you sure you don't want to _stay here_ for a little longer? We have _plenty of room_." Ororo offered.

"Look, you guys…" Tod sighed, but this time, he wore a genuine smile on his lips. "I admit, I was pretty _harsh_ with you guys, but I have a _really good_ opportunity with the JLA, right now." Edward and Ororo sadly nodded in understanding. " _But_ … I suppose I'd be willing to come and _visit_ every _now and then_. If you're okay with that?"

"We would be _happy_ to have you visit." Edward smiled, and the trio came together in one final group hug.

At the same time, Sooraya passed their doorway, speaking to Billy on the phone. "And you _really_ haven't told anyone _outside_ of your family?"

" _Nope."_ Billy replied. _"Fawcett City may be a nice place to live, but I've still come across my fair share of_ nasty _bad guys. So, I'm_ begging you _not to tell anyone."_

"Don't worry, Billy, your secret is safe with me. I have to go to class now, but I'll call you later... I-I _love you_." Sooraya could tell Billy was blushing on the other end.

" _I love you, too. Bye."_

Meanwhile, back in her room, Shayera was showing Carter all of the antiques she had collected in her current life. Despite their rough beginning, Carter was finally warming up to her enough to listen to her stories. "So, this all _really happened,_ huh?"

"I _know_ how overwhelming this must be for you… so, I'm willing to be _patient_ until you can love me again."

"I appreciate that…" They both smiled and hugged each other, tightly.

 **"How** _ **touching**_ **."** Carter and Shayera spun around to see a man in a red mask glaring at them both. Before they had time to react, another man dressed in a purple parka appeared. And then a bald man in a sharp suit followed. And, finally, a woman in a revealing cheeta-skin dress. **"I have been** _ **waiting**_ **to find you for a** _ **long time**_ **, Khufu. You see, my associates and I are in need of something you possess, and we** _ **are**_ **in a bit of a rush. So, we can do this the** _ **easy way…**_ **"** The man began to vibrate his body at a fantastic rate, encouraging his allies to ready their own weapons. **"Or the** _ **hard way**_ **."**

 **To Be Continued!**

 **THIS IS IT, PEOPLE! THE MOMENT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR! STAY TUNED FOR NEXT WEEK AS WE FINALLY REACH THE EXCITING PRELUDE OF: JLA CIVIL WAR!**


	64. CIVIL WAR Prelude

**Chapter XXIII: CIVIL WAR! Prelude**

 **Thirty-One Years Ago, Los Angeles**

Amora Minerva, former archeologist and current super-villainess, had been using her enchanted powers for her own personal benefit. Four times before today, she had run afoul of Thunder Woman, earning herself a reputation around the world as Minerva the Enchantress. And she quite enjoyed it.

Presently, she was hiding under the radar, practicing her newfound powers for their next confrontation. Taking up work for organized criminals, she was waiting with seven crates of pure cocaine. At last, her clients arrived.

"Is it _all_ here?"

"Every _sweet-smelling speck_ of it." She assured them. "As for my _compensation?_ "

The pimp snapped his fingers, ordering two of his thugs to carry a trunk over to the sorceress' feet. Kneeling down, the cheetah-clad woman graciously opened the the heavy case, revelling in its content. Inside was a bundle of wooden rods with a projecting axe blade.

"Strange form of payment." The pimp remarked. "Why _this_ instead of _cash?_ "

"Everyone has a _hobby_." She smiled. "Some women collect _jewelry_ or _shoes_. _I_ collect symbols of _power_. _This_ is called a _'fasces';_ a ceremonial axe carried by the bodyguards of Emperor Nero. From which the term ' _Fascism_ 'is derived." The criminals looked perplexed. " _No?_ Uh, a form of _rule_ which, if you ask _me_ , is getting a bit of a _bad rap_ , lately."

Minerva paid her final respects to her clients and teleported to her secret hideaway. The brilliant mansion was decorated with other ancient weapons and tapestries, all of which had helped her with her mystic studies. She took the fasces out of the case, carrying it over to the fireplace. After securing it to the display rack, she ran her fingers along the smooth wooden rods, only to bump her hand into someone else's.

 **"A most** _ **fascinating**_ **piece, Dr. Minerva."** Red Zoom's voice echoed throughout the grand hallways as he also inspected the weapon. **"** _ **First century, A.D.**_ **, am I not** _ **correct?**_ **"**

"You have _ten seconds_ to explain _who you are_ and _how you got here_." Minerva hissed, motioning her hands for a lethal hex. The man's sudden appearance had startled her at first, but she didn't want to show it.

 **"Oh, how** _ **rude**_ **of me…"** Red Zoom tapped a small button under his helmet, making it fold away into his heavy trench coat. "My name is _Eobard Schmidt_ , but I am more _famously known_ as the _Red Zoom_. I'm from _the future_."

"Alright, _now_ you _die_." She was just about to flick her wrist, when…

"Malaketh LeFey."

The Enchantress shuddered. She hadn't learned of the origin of her powers until just a few weeks ago. And even so, she was the only living person who had studied Darkworld's secrets. "How do you know that name?"

"I know _everything_ about you…" Eobard crossed his arms with a smug smile plastered over his face. As he spoke, he stepped closer to the sorceress, making her back away in fear. "In thirty years from now, just as you finally learn how to fully _master_ the mystic arts, your powers begin to _fade_. In a desperate attempt to _restore them_ , you strike a _deal_ with Darkworld's queen. But just as your plan is about to _succeed_ , LeFey is _betrayed_ by Thunder Woman's sister, Circi, and shot _dead_ by her lover. And _you_ … _you_ are _murdered_. _Beheaded_ by the Amazon's protege. But it doesn't _have_ to end like that. I can _change_ your future, _if_ you can help me."

"... I'm _listening_."

* * *

 **Seven Months Ago**

"So, how _exactly_ do you plan to give me what I want?" Maxwell Von Havoc had finally stopped vomiting and regained his posture. It was his first time being carried by a speedster at such a velocity.

"All in _due time_ , Mr. Von Havoc." Red Zoom picked up a syringe and tapped the needle. "But _first_ , if you and I are to _work_ together, I'll need you to be at your _top physical condition_." He injected the strange liquid into the genius' arm without his consent. "And I _do_ believe you'll be grateful for a chance to continue wearing that _Radonite ring_ you're so fond of."

* * *

 **Two Weeks Ago**

" _This_ is the great _Baron Zero?_ " Minerva chuckled as she pointed at the sobbing German terrorist. She and Max Von Havoc had been waiting for their accomplice to return from his mission. "I must say, I am _most_ unimpressed."

"Oh, ho, ho, _ho!_ I wouldn't judge him _too harshly_ , my dear." Eobard laughed. "He may have fallen on _hard times_ , lately, but _this man_ used to be the leader of _H.I.D.R.A._ "

" _Zoom._ " Zemo snarled as he regained his footing. "I thought you _died_ years ago."

"Oh, _come now_ , Leonard. We're _old friends_ , aren't we?"

"You left me to _die_ in that Soviet imprisonment camp!" Zero took his cold gun out of the holster, placing the end of the barrel against Schmidt's chest. "If _that_ is how you treat your friends, I'd certainly hate to see what you do to your _enemies_."

"Oh, I assure you, you _would_." Eobard chuckled. "But that's all in the _past_. I'd like to start _anew_. I can make your troubles _disappear_."

"I have been _betrayed_ by an alien, _discredited_ in front of my followers, and I have just _lost_ my _only son_." Zemo sneered. "I am in _no mood_ to be made a _fool_ by the likes of _you_."

"I _see_." Eobard smiled. "Perhaps _this_ will change your mind…" The speedster reached into one of his coat's pockets and removed a syringe containing a green liquid. "This is called the _'sanabat omnes,'_ or _'cure all'_ vaccine. Invented in the year 2381, it can remedy _any_ illness that plagues the body. The only problem is; it needs to be _bonded_ to the immune system for _twenty years_."

"Then it is _useless_ to me."

" _Au contraire_." In a flash of lightning, Red Zoom disappeared.

"AH!" Zemo cried out as he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck. Soon enough, Zoom returned with a confident smile on his face.

"Take off your mask." He said.

"What?"

"Take _off_ your _mask_." Eobard repeated.

"You _know_ I _can't_." Leonard growled. "This mask has been _seared_ to my face for over _seventy years_ due to that _wretched chemical_ I invented. And it will _stay_ over my face until my lungs-"

"Just _take off..._ your _mask_."

Leonard sighed heavily and conceded to the odd request. He slowly moved his hands over where the mask connected to his parka. To his surprise, the edges of the fabric peeled away as he pinched it. Tenderly, Leonard continued to tug at the mask, until it finally came off. He dropped the purple mask to the ground, stumbling backwards from disbelief. Not long after, he realized that the coldness in his blood he was so used to had vanished.

"Get me a _mirror_." He ordered the group. Max tossed a hand-mirror over to the former leader. Leonard shakily gazed into his reflection, it had been a long time since he'd seen his true face. "How…?"

"While my powers over time travel are _limited_ , I can still make _subtle changes_ without destroying the timeline. I traveled back to 1997 and injected you with the serum while you were asleep. Computer?"

 _["Yes, Master Schmidt?"]_ a holographic face appeared from Eobard's palm.

"Has this little endeavor caused any _significant changes_ to history?"

 _["As a matter of fact, Baron Leonard Zemo's son did not gain cryokinetic powers. As a result, he becomes something far_ worse _than an assassin; he becomes Baron Zero's_ designated successor _, constructing his_ own _cold gun and recruiting his team of Renegades much_ sooner _. Unfortunately, everything else about his fate remains the same. On a more_ positive note, _while he is still destined to die at his father's hands, it appears that in this new timeline, he recruited his cousin, Golden Viper, into his Renegades. Thus, he inadvertently saved her from Wolfram Degaton."]_

"So, there you _have it_ , Leonard."Zoom chortled. "Come with _us_ , and we can not only give you back _H.I.D.R.A._ , but your _son_ as well."

Leonard looked down at his mask. If what Red Zoom had told him was true, then his beloved niece was alive once again. Ever since he'd tracked her down and liberated her from her abusive father, Leonard saw her as his own. Having her in his life again would be good.

But not good enough.

"I'll _do it_." Leonard breathed. "But you already _knew that,_ didn't you?"

Eobard just beamed.

* * *

 **Present Day**

"Listen, bub," Carter unleashed his talons as he stood in front of Shayera. "I don't know _who you are_ , but you're not gonna hurt _anyone_."

"Nor do we _want to_." Baron Zero retorted. "But that is dependant on _your actions_ not _ours_."

"Oh, _yeah?!_ " Carter slashed his claws at the group that had invaded his new home. He managed to shred Red Zoom's gauntlet, but in return, received a bullet from Von Havoc. His indestructible skull wasn't hurt, but he noticed that his skin wasn't healing up as quickly as it usually did. The Enchantress blasted him with one of her powerful hexes, pinning him to the wall, as Shayera charged.

Red Zoom swiftly broke her left wing in three different places, and held her by the right. **"The X-Patrol and** _ **all**_ **muta-humans are nothing more than a tedious** _ **flaw**_ **in the human race. I am** _ **honored**_ **to help** _ **speed up**_ **your extinction."** He vibrated his hand at a rapid pace and motioned it towards Dove's chest.

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Zoom looked down at his other gauntlet and shuddered. **"You three! Grab Howlett and get him back to our headquarters! I'll meet you there!"** In a flash of red lightning, the Nazi speedster disappeared into the night, leaving his companions baffled.

Carter tried to scratch Zero, but the master of cold hit him with the blunt of his weapon, tearing off a piece of his face. "Ah!" Carter was confused. Before tonight, he couldn't feel any pain, but every blow the villains inflicted hurt him. Zero froze his ankles together, Von Havoc added an adjustment to his rifle that fired a pair of hand restraints over his wrists, and Minerva used her magic to teleport them away.

It took five minutes for Shayera's friends to respond to the commotion. Niles, himself, was shocked to see one of his strongest pupils look so defeated.

* * *

 **Ten Hours Later**

Carter woke with a start. He found himself tied to a wooden chair under a bright, florescent light. He looked down at his arm; his wounds were finally healing up. But it didn't last long. Eobard stepped out from the shadows, holding a metal rod in his hands. "What did you _do_ to me?" He asked. "I used to be able to heal _faster_ than that."

" _I_ didn't do anything." Eobard mused. " _You_ did. When you and your _soul mate_ killed Cataclysm, you lifted the curse on _yourselves,_ as well. From now on, she will _no longer_ be reincarnated, and _you_ get to _feel again_." Eobard tapped the rod on Carter's cheek. "Now, I understand you've _forgotten_ where the pyramid that Cataclysm wanted. So, I suppose we'll just have to _jog your memory_."

"What…? You gonna _torture me?_ I can _take it_." Carter sneered.

"Oh, I'm sure you _can_." Red Zoom chuckled. "But _I'm_ not going to torture you… _**we**_ **are."**

Baron Zero, Maxwell Von Havoc, and Minerva the Enchantress all stepped into the light, sinisterly gazing at their guest.

 **To Be Continued!**

 _Come gather 'round, people, wherever you roam,_

 _And admit that the waters around you have grown_

 _And accept it that soon, you'll be drenched to the bone,_

 _If your time to you is worth savin',_

 _Then you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone,_

 _For The Times They Are A-Changin'_

 _-Bob Dylan_


	65. CIVIL WAR part 1

**Chapter XXIII: CIVIL WAR! PART 1**

 _ **Allied Powers Summit, Washington D.C., 1942**_

 _Alan Hammond, better known as the Human Lantern, stood before the council with a straight face. Meanwhile, Flag, Kid-Flag, Aqua The Sub-Mariner, and Hyperman sat behind Alan's lawyer, wanting to support their friend. The fact that Hammond wasn't an organic human, the Allied Forces wanted to draft him out of The Justice Society of Invaders and use him as a weapon._

 _U.S. Senator Biggs was the man called upon to make sure that they were successful. Alan's lawyer stepped up, beside him. "Your honor, my client was born in the United States only_ three years ago. _He may have been born in the form of a_ grown man _, but he is still not yet old enough to be drafted by-"_

"Objection _, your honor." Senator Biggs stood up from his seat. "The Human Lantern was not_ born _, he was_ built _. Constructed in a_ laboratory _by Dr. Phineas Scott. It has_ no birth certificate, _and by default,_ no rights _. Dr. Scott developed the 'Human' Lantern' to fight against America's enemies. And now, due to his_ untimely demise _, the robot is the property of the United States."_

 _Kid-Flag and Aqua both got up, ready to give the American politician a piece of their minds. But Hyperman and Flag held them back. Biggs turned his attention towards Alan, taking notice of the expression on his face. "What's the matter, robot?" He snorted. "Are you programmed to feel_ offended? _"_

["No, Mr. Senator, I am attempting to understand your _statement…_ "] _Alan's monotone voice echoed around the room._ ["Earlier, during this summit, you stated that you only knew Dr. Scott by _reputation_. And yet _now_ , you have the _audacity_ to speak to me as though you knew his reason for creating me more than _I_ do?"]

 _Senator Biggs opened his mouth as if to say something, but he couldn't speak. The way everyone else in the room gazed at him made his mouth go dry. He shifted in his seat, uncomfortably, noticing how confident the other members of the JSI looked._

["If I were _human_ …"] _Alan started again._ ["I believe my response would be… _'Go to Hell.'_ "] _The Judge had to slam his gavel onto the podium several times to quiet down the laughter, even though he had been trying not to laugh, himself._ [" _If_ I were human."] _Alan verified._

 _ **The White House, Washington, D.C. 1947.**_

 _President Truman felt exhausted. After the war ended in 1945, Aqua requested to have Atlantis become a part of the United Nations. But the countries of the U.N. denied his offer, stating that Atlantis had never been observed by any of their own, and therefore could not be trusted. Feeling betrayed by the very people he helped to protect, Aqua severed all ties with the surface world and returned to his kingdom._

 _A few weeks later, naval fleets of all countries around the world were being attacked. Atlantis had ordered the world to cease all oversea travels. Aqua, himself, deemed the entire planet's oceans off-limits to any human being, and announced that he would go to war against any who opposed him._

 _The world leaders realized that this would completely destroy the world's economy. Just yesterday, Spain decided to take the matter into their own hands, and attacked first. Atlantis responded by wiping out their entire fleet and were now threatening to sink the entire continent of Europe for the act of aggression._

 _Truman now had no choice but to intervene, if Europe fell, the rest of the world would quickly follow. And so, now, here he was, sitting in front of the only man who could stop Atlantis._

" _It is absolute_ chaos _out there, my friend." Henry sighed to his guest. "Now, I understand what I'm about to ask of you will be_ difficult _. What with the history you share with Atlantis' King, but what he has done can_ no longer _be_ ignored _. Aqua, the Sub-Mariner, must be_ stopped _. No_ matter _the cost."_

" _I_ understand _, Mr. President." Hyperman replied, solemnly, and headed out of the White House and flew off to save Portugal._

 _Within the next twenty-four hours, King Aqua was dead and Atlantis surrendered._

* * *

 **Jordan University. Concord, NH.**

Tony Jordan took a deep breath as he finished the upload. He walked out onto the stage and put on a huge smile as the crowd cheered at his presence. Secretly, the Ultriac incident still weighed heavily on his conscience, as such, he didn't take time to memorize his speech. To remedy this, he projected it onto a two-way mirror, making it so that only he could read it. When the room finally quieted down, he began.

"Ever since the _eighteenth century_ , the industrial world has been slowly _killing_ our environment. The EPA and NREL have done their _best_ , but it has never been _enough_. _Everyone, everywhere_ , is _wasting energy_ and _polluting the ecosystem_. And they don't even _know it_. But, it's never _too late_. Almost _ten years ago_ , I dedicated a _large portion_ of my company's resources into something known as _Project: Green_."

The larger screen behind him displayed an animated video of clean energy sources replacing non-renewable energy facilities. The students were in awe at the prospect. Tony clicked a button concealed in his coat sleeve, changing the video from animation to live-feed. New buildings lined with solar panels were spread out across the Eastern Coast.

"Thanks to the _hard work_ and _dedication_ of Jordan Industries' scientific division, _every state_ from _Maine_ to _Florida_ will have enough _clean energy_ for up to _fifty years!_ " The crowd rose from their seats, applauding Tony's work as he continued. "No _coal_ , no _toxic waste!_ Just _rebuild Mother Nature!_ " Just as the cheering died down, Tony glanced back up at the mirror. His smile faded away as he remembered that he'd forgotten to edit the speech. The neon letters spelled out one final sentence that made his heart sink.

" _And now, I'd like to introduce the two men responsible for this grand achievement; Professor Martin Selvig, and his pupil, Ronald Powell!"_

Tony's lips trembled, slightly, and his eyes shone from the tears he was forcing back. The students looked worried. At last, Tony clapped his hands together and smiled again. "HGo enjoy a _clean world_." He waved at the crowd one last time, listening to their applause as he made his way down the hall.

At the elevator, he met a woman, waiting for him to show up. "That was a _very good thing_ you did, Mr. Jordan." She complimented.

" _Ah,_ it needed to be _done_." Tony shrugged. "I'm just sorry that most people _before me_ who have had the resources didn't _try_."

"Well, what can you _expect?_ " She asked. "People with too much power often don't know how to _use it_ properly."

Tony didn't like the sound of her tone. He pushed the button on the elevator. "Going up?"

"I'm _right_ where I _want_ to be." She frowned and reached into her purse.

Acting on impulse, Tony grabbed her wrist, thinking it was a gun. She looked back at him, disgusted. "Sorry…" He said, meekly, letting her hand go. "Force of habit."

"I worked in Information Technology for _thirty years_." This woman was unwavering. " _Boring work_ , I know. But it enabled me to raise a _daughter_." She took a picture out of her purse and handed it to Tony. "Her name was Gabby Reynolds. You think you fight for _us_. But all _you_ fight for is _yourself_. Who's going to _avenge_ my daughter, Jordan?"

Tony was left alone in the hallway, trying to process what had just happened.

* * *

 **S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters. New York, NY.**

Steve walked through the facility's detention center, disgruntled by all of the safety precautions the agents took to ensure he would attempt to free their prisoner. Despite the fact that he'd helped them take down Ultriac, Wally had been charged for all of the crimes he'd committed as the Winter Speedster. Luckily, Emerald Man and Director Fury pulled some strings and managed to schedule a fair trial for the victimized soldier.

After a tedious security check, Steve was allowed to enter the prison cell and see his oldest friend. The cell was fitted with a device that severed Wally's connection to the Speed Force, making it impossible for him to escape on his own. Steve was deeply disturbed by the pane of glass that separated the duo. The last time he was in such a situation was when he visited his father.

Wally picked up a phone on his end, and Steve followed suit. "Hey, boss." Wally chortled, trying to lighten the mood. "What's up?"

For the past few weeks, Steve had been visiting Wally on a regular basis. When they weren't reminiscing about the simpler times, Steve helped him catch up on how much the world had changed. At first, they appeared to be having fun, but guilt quickly clutched Steve's heart in a stranglehold.

"I'm _so sorry,_ Wally." Steve said. "You shouldn't be in here. You're not a _criminal_."

"Steve…" Wally sighed. "I _belong_ here."

"What?" Steve couldn't believe what he just heard.

"How many people did I _kill_ while I was the Winter Speedster?" Wally started to cry. "The _lives_ I've ruined. The _families_ I've destroyed. I-I killed them… I killed _all of them_ , with _no remorse_. W-why didn't I _fight it?_ _You did_. Why couldn't _I?_ I should've _fought_ … I should've…" Wally laid his head down on the table, sobbing louder. "I let the _Soviets_ and then _H.I.D.R.A._ use me like a _tool_. And I-I didn't… I _didn't_ …"

Steve had heard enough. As his own tears stained his cheeks, he slammed his fist on the glass. "Wally. Wally, _look_ at me. _Look at me!_ " Wally stirred, but he didn't look up. "Damn it, kid, that's an _order! Look at me!_ " That did the trick. Wally's saddened eyes met Steve's. "This is _not_ your fault. You were willing to _risk_ your _life_ to save innocent lives from that bomb. This is _Zoom's_ fault… and he's still _out there_. I _swear_ , if it take _every breath_ in my body, I'm going to get you _out of here_. I _promise_."

 _["Captain Allen?"]_ Steve felt a cold, metallic hand rest on his shoulder. It was Mirage. _["You requested that I inform you when Mr. Jordan returned."]_

"Thank you, Mirage." He replied. "I'll be there soon." Mirage nodded in understanding and made their through the cement wall. "I have to go."

"I know…" Wally smiled. The two friends placed their hands against the glass.

"Bye, son." Steve finished as he hung up the phone. He met Mirage outside the room and walked with them to the meeting hall.

 _["Additionally, he has brought a_ guest. _"]_

"Who?"

 _["The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."]_ They passed through another wall, startling the JLA's sole muta-human.

" _Jesus, Silver!_ " He gasped. "We _talked_ about this!"

 _["Yes, but the door was_ opened _, so I-"]_ The humanoid stopped talking as they realized how illogical their reasoning was.

Steve entered the room and took a seat right next to Kent and Sharon. Every member of the Justice Legion, the West Coast League, and reserve members were gathered in the room, waiting for their host. At last, a Hispanic man in a standard S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform came in.

"Agent Hill?" Steve looked surprised. "Where's Director Fury?"

"Director Fury has been elected to Secretary of Defense." Hill responded, calmly. "As a result, the role of Director falls upon _me_." The new Director made his way to the front of the room. "You're all probably wondering what you're all doing here, so I'll cut to the _chase_. The world owes you all an _immeasurable_ debt. But while many people consider you _heroes_ , there _are_ others who prefer to call you _vigilantes_."

"And what would _you_ consider us, Director Hill?" Agent Romanoff cocked an eyebrow.

"How about _dangerous?_ " He picked up a remote from the table and activated the projector. Numerous images of devastated cities flashed over the screen. "Southern California. New York. Seattle. Washington, D.C. London. Iguazu Falls. Markovia."

Steve noticed Tod looking down at the table, thinking about his sister's demise. "Okay, that's _enough_."

"Captain Allen, people are _afraid_. The JLA, and the JSO before you, have acted outside of the law for _too long_. Not _once_ being held _accountable_ for the damage caused by your fights with your enemies."

"That's not _true_." Steve said. "We've _always_ taken our actions into account."

"Is that _so_ , Captain." Hill leaned down on the table. "Then I don't suppose you can please tell me where _Thunder Woman_ and her _protege_ are?"

Steve said nothing. Just yesterday, Diana and Donna left Earth to return to Asgard. She had mentioned something about the vision Darkstar showed her. But other than that, she hadn't given them any detail about their mission.

"You've done plenty of _good_ over the years, so we cut you guys a _lot_ of slack; granting _Mirage_ citizenship, _pardoning_ Darkstar, giving _Winter Speedster_ a fair trial. But it all stops _now_." He opened his satchel and placed a thick stack of papers onto the table. "The Superhuman Registration Act. Issued by the United Nations to be signed by _all of you_. It states that S.H.I.E.L.D. and, by _extension,_ the Justice Legion of Avengers shall _no longer_ act as a private organization. And shall _instead_ answer directly to the United Nations, if and _when_ they deem the situation appropriate. You all have until next _Monday_ to sign it."

"Uh, _question_ …" Darkstar raised his hand. "What if we decide we don't _want_ to sign it?"

"... Then you can consider yourselves _retired_." With that, Director Hill left the room, leaving the heroes to consider their options.

 **To Be Continued!**


	66. CIVIL WAR part 2

**Chapter XXIII: CIVIL WAR! Part 2**

 _ **Oahu Island, the Pacific Ocean. November 20, 1945.**_

 _Hyperman flew as fast as he could to the fallout zone. The Anti-Watcher's ship was in ruins; scattered all over the Pacific. Thanks to the heroic efforts of the Flag, the alien warmonger's efforts to destroy the planet had been stopped, but Captain Allen was last seen near the ship when it detonated. The Man of Might landed on the small island, using all of his hyper-senses to search for any trace of human life._

 _He couldn't hear his friend's heartbeat, nor could he see the after-images he left behind while running. Ultimately, it was the smell of burnt leather that drew his attention to the mask. Kent's knees went weak as he held the tattered mask in his hands. So much had gone wrong in such a short time; Human Lantern being shot down by the Italians, Kid-Flag's death from trying to help his mentor, Aqua's growing mistrust of humans, and now, Flag was gone._

" _You!" The Anti-Watcher shifted out from under the rubble. "Look at what you have_ done! _I don't_ need _my ship. I will destroy your planet myse-" In the blink of an eye, Kent had his fingers wrapped around the Anti-Watcher's throat._

 _The Man of Might never allowed his temper to get the best of him, lest he risked seriously injuring someone. But at that moment, he didn't appear to be holding anything back. His eyes glowed brighter than ever before, his muscles tightened, and his signature smile was nowhere to be found. The Anti-Watcher had boasted about having destroyed countless planets before arriving on Earth, and took sadistic pleasure in the deaths that followed in his wake, never once showing remorse._

" _That was my_ best friend _." He sneered, angrily, as he pointed to the mask. He lifted the Anti-Watcher up into the air, still choking him. "And you just_ killed _him!"_

 _With a single punch, Hyperman sent his enemy flying out of the Earth's atmosphere. The Anti-Watcher managed to stop himself just before he reached the next planet. But Hyperman was already speeding towards him, and hit him again with a blow more powerful than an atom bomb. The two all-powerful beings landed on the dead planet of Mars. Hyperman never gave the Anti-Watcher a chance to defend himself._

" _You killed_ so many people _in your life, Watcher!" He bellowed. "Destroyed_ so many planets! _" Every punch he delivered made more of the villain's armor shatter. "When does it_ end _, Watcher?!" Another blow to the jaw made green blood spew from the alien's mouth. "I'll answer_ for _you…" Hyperman grabbed his enemy by the neck again and flew high up into space. "It ends_ tonight! _"_

" _Stop!" The Anti-Watcher cried as they rushed back to Mars' surface. "You cannot_ do this _to me! I am an_ Eternal _! I am like a_ god! _What_ right _do you have to_ do this?! _"_

 _But Kent wouldn't listen. He smashed the alien's body into the ground so hard, that he created a giant crater in the soil. When the dust cleared, Hyperman stood over the bloodied and broken frame that once was the Anti-Watcher._

 _The intergalactic-tyrant looked up at Earth's last defender, tears falling from his cheeks as he whimpered, pathetically. "Please…" He begged. "Have_ mercy _…"_

" _After everything you've_ done? _" Kent replied, ominously. "This_ is _mercy."_

" _NOOOOOOOOOOO!" The Anti-Watcher's screams filled Mars' atmosphere as the Radonian's heat-vision reduced his entire body to ashes._

* * *

 **Unknown Location, Present Day**

Eobard was growing impatient. According to the history logs, the X-Patrol's encounter with Cataclysm was supposed to reveal the location of the Soul Ring. But, then again, he recounted that his interference with the timeline had already caused several discrepancies from what he remembered. Khufu, or Carter as he insisted, had refused to give them any information about the Ring's whereabouts, claiming he didn't know what they were talking about. Nervously, he looked down at his gauntlet to see if his pursuer was getting close again.

At last, his three allies stepped out of the room and locked the muta-human back inside. "He _still_ won't tell us anything?" He growled.

"It's more like _'can't'_." Maxwell corrected. "He appears to be suffering from _long-term amnesia_."

Eobard rubbed his head in frustration. "This is what I _get_ for relying on _two washouts_ and a _dead witch_."

"Excuse me?!" Leonard snapped. "I recall that _you_ were _with us_ , as well."

"Yeah, until you _weren't_." Minerva added. This comment made Eobard grow cross. He zipped over to the Enchantress and slammed her against the wall.

"I _hate it_ when he does that." Leonard muttered.

"If you have something to _say_ , Minerva…" Eobard threatened. "I suggest you keep it to _yourself_."

"I'm _sorry_ , am I supposed to be _scared?_ " Minerva choked.

"Oh, _I_ would be."

"Except that you still _need us_." She reasoned. "Now, let me go _back_ in there, and just give me _an hour_."

"We already _tried_ torture." Maxwell deadpanned.

"I'm not talking about _torture_ , I'm talking about _hypnosis_. A _spell_ I found in one of my studies. Khufu's mind is _locked away_ , but _I_ have the _key_."

Eobard let go of the sorceress, letting her catch her breath. "Exactly how _proficient_ are you at this spell?"

"The tabloids don't call me _'the Enchantress'_ for nothing." Her boast made Leonard and Maxwell roll their eyes. "I'll get it _done_."

After Minerva closed the door behind her, Eobard turned to the duo. "Now, listen… eventually, the X-Patrol may turn to the JLA for help in finding their kidnapped friend. But, if we can keep them _occupied_ , that won't present a _problem_."

"What do you _mean_ 'occupied'?" Leonard questioned.

Eobard took out a circular device from his coat pocket and placed it over his chest. With the press of a button, a bright light flashed over his face, creating a plastic mask that made him resemble the former Winter Speedster. His companions were visibly impressed. "Now, Leonard… what size _suit_ do you wear?"

* * *

 **JLA Headquarters, New York, NY.**

Karen had read through the Superhuman Registration Act five times now, and she still couldn't believe that this was happening. If she didn't agree to sign it, the U.N. would order them to leave Earth forever, or else be declared enemies of the world. She didn't like the idea of working for the world government, but she also didn't want to lose another home. Before she could grab a pen, Bart snatched the Act out of her hands.

"This is the _worst thing_ I've ever _heard!_ " He exclaimed.

"Kid, don't take it to _lightly_." Rhodey took it from him and put it back on the table. "You heard Director Hill; this is what we've _needed_ from the _beginning_."

"Are you _shitting me?_ " Sam shot up from his seat, standing right in front of Rhodey. "You _honestly think_ this'll make people stop being _afraid_ of us?"

"He's _right_." Matt got up, now. "We _need_ to be held _accountable_. It'll make us look more _organized_. Spread more _fear_ into the criminal underworld."

" _Bullshit!_ " Sharon spluttered. "This is nothing more than a _trap_ to put us in the possession of _politicians!_ And once _they_ gain control over the superheroes, _they_ decide who the _bad guys_ are!"

"Okay, Sharon!" Selina leaned forward, onto the table. "That is _dangerously_ arrogant. The _important thing_ is that we all _stick together_."

"Right!" Tim added. "Just because it's the path of _least_ resistance doesn't mean it's the _worst_ one."

 _["I have an_ equation. _"]_ Mirage raised their hand. Everyone turned to listen. _["Thank you. Now, when Mr. Milton first made his appearance as Hyperman, the number of_ ordinary criminals _dropped, significantly. However, simultaneously, the number of_ superhuman _threats began to steadily_ increase _. And those threats_ continued _to increase as each of us followed him."]_

"Are you saying it's _our fault_ that there are _supervillains?_ " Tod sounded hurt.

 _["Not_ intentionally _, no. Our_ strengths _invite_ challenge _._ Challenge _invites_ conflict _._ Conflict _… leads to_ catastrophe. _"]_

"Thank you!" Rhodey replied. But the Air Force Captain turned his attention over to his best friend. "Tony…? You _okay?_ "

"Come to _think_ of it, he's been _uncharacteristically quiet_." Bart added.

"That's because he's already _made up_ his mind." Steve answered. " _Haven't_ you?"

"Of _course_ , I _have_." Tony rubbed his forehead as he got up. "Look, I may be a little _snarky_ , but I know when to be the _straight man_. There's _no argument_ about this." He walked over to the kitchen and started making a pot of coffee. He used his ring to display a holographic image of an African American woman no older than eighteen.

"Oh, that's _Gabby Reynolds_ , by the way." He went on. " _Great kid_. _Straight-A_ student. _Volunteer work_. The _whole shebang_. She was offered scholarships to _twelve_ different colleges. But, unfortunately for _her_ , she decided to put a few more _miles_ on her soul before she _parked it_ behind a desk by building affordable housing for the homeless. Guess _where?_ _Markovia!_ We probably didn't notice the _building_ that fell on her because we were too busy _kicking ass_."

"Tony…" Steve spoke, soothingly. "There is not a _single day_ that goes by that I don't _grieve_ for all the people I couldn't save. But that doesn't mean we _give up_."

"Who say's we're _giving up?_ "

"We _are_ if we don't look at the _big picture_. Sharon's _right_. _Maybe_ the U.N. has the right idea about us taking our actions into accountability, but they are _still people_. People with _agendas_ , and agendas _change_."

"That's _good!_ When I found out that _my weapons_ were being sold to terrorists, I _shut it down_ and _stopped making them_."

"That's _exactly_ my point! Tony, you _chose_ to do that. If we _sign_ this, we give up our right to _choose_. What if the Act sends us somewhere we don't want to _go?_ Or _worse_ , what if there's somewhere we _need_ to go, but the Act won't _let us?_ "

"I'll _talk_ to them…" Kent said at last. Everyone turned to face the strongest man in the galaxy. "Seventy years ago, I lost _faith_ in humanity. Now that I've got it _back_ , I'm not going to let them lose their faith in _us_ … in _me_. I've been called as a _character witness_ to Wally's trial, tomorrow. After we've gotten him cleared, I'll request a sitting with the U.N."

"Well, _good luck_ , man." Tim replied, holding up a newspaper. "Says here you've got the King of Wakanda against you. And I gotta _tell ya_ , this guy can be _very persuasive_."

* * *

 **S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, The Next Day.**

Wally sat in his chamber, patiently waiting for his lawyer to arrive. In just two hours, he would be called onto trial to either prove his innocence or be condemned for his crimes against humanity. He looked down at his metal leg, the constant reminder of what he had done.

"Excuse me?" A voice came. Wally saw a tall man dressed in a nice suit being let into the room by the security. He had bright blue eyes, neat blonde hair, and a friendly smile. "My name is Heinrich Snart. And I am to be Mr. Barnes' attorney."

"Alright, you have _twenty minutes_ to get to know him. Then we're heading to the summit." The guard closed the door behind them.

Once the door was closed, Heinrich's smile went from friendly to sinister. Wally felt nervous; as if he knew this man before. Heinrich dropped the suitcase and sat down at the window. He picked up the phone on his end and motioned for Wally to take his.

Reluctantly, Wally sat down and picked up his phone. "Uh… hello?"

"It's been a _long time_ , Private Barnes." His voice sent chills down Wally's spine.

" _Zero_ …" He gasped. He tried to find a way out of his prison, but it was no good. The cell still blocked his connection to the Speed Force.

"Now, _now_ …" Leonard held his hand up, trying to calm him. "I am here to offer you a _deal_."

"There is _nothing_ you have that I would _want!_ " Wally punched the glass separating them.

"Not even _seventy years_ of your _life_ back?"

"...what are you _talking_ about?"

"I doubt Herr Flag ever _told you_ this, but it was _I_ who supplied Red Zoom with that _rocket_ he fired at Washington. The one you so _heroically_ leapt onto. But he and I have recently formed an _alliance_. If I help _him_ , he'll give me what I want _most_. And if _you_ help us, he'll see to it that he _never_ uses that rocket. That's when it all went _wrong_ , wasn't it? You losing your _leg_. Being captured by _Stalin_. Falling into the hands of _H.I.D.R.A._ -"

"And me _meeting_ your _son_." Wally interrupted. " _That's_ what he promised you, isn't it?"

"Do you _accept_ our offer or _not?_ " Leonard sounded impatient. "Just _think;_ you have your _life back!_ You'd never even _know_ the _pain_ you suffered to _get it!_ It would be like living in a _dream_."

"That's the _real_ difference between you and me, Zero…" Wally sneered. "I'm _strong enough_ to accept a _nightmare_ that's _real_ over a _dream_ that's a _lie_."

"Very _well_ … I suppose we'll have to do this the _hard way_." Zero reached into his suitcase and pulled out a red notebook with a black star on it. Wally shuddered; it was the codes the Russians used to control him. ("Hammer. Sickle. Communism. Fallen. Freight car. Czechoslovakia. Homecoming. Winter Speedster.")

Wally straightened his stance with a vacant look in his eyes. ("Awaiting commands.")

Zero chuckled as he pulled his cold-gun out of the suitcase's secret compartment. "Excellent. Let's have some _fun_."

* * *

Hyperman hovered down from the sky, looking at the crowd that gathered outside of the courthouse. Some people were cheering, others were yelling. He was used to mixed opinions, but recent events were making it difficult to put on a brave face. At last, he made his way inside, where the King of Wakanda and his son, Prince Benjamin, were waiting. The crowd fell silent as Hyperman walked up to the podium.

"Let me first say, for the record, that _this_ is how it _should be_." King T'Challa began. "With those who have _damaged_ our cities and people to _answer_ for their actions."

But as the King went on, his son saw something approach the building. The windows shattered from the shockwaves and the explosion followed shortly afterwards. Kent managed to save Benjamin, but everyone else in the building was dead.

"Hello, Kent…" The Radonian couldn't believe his eyes; Wally was standing before him, smiling at the death around them.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Benjamin T'Challa(Black Panther/Bronze Tiger)**


	67. CIVIL WAR part 3

**Chapter XXIII: CIVIL WAR! Part 3**

 _ **S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ. Two Days Ago**_

" _So you're_ really _gonna do this, again?" John Foster was not happy._

" _John,_ please _, you have to understand. My_ duty _is to Asgard, as_ well _as Earth." Diana tried her best to explain. "Only,_ this time _, I don't know how_ long _I'll be away. But… I can't have_ you _worrying about me all the time. The truth is; I've_ never _really been there for you."_

" _Shouldn't_ I _be the one to decide that?"_

" _John, I_ love _you. There is_ no doubt _in my mind_ or _my heart. But we've only ever gotten to see each other for_ short periods _of time. And it's not_ fair _that I should make you_ wait for me _."_

" _So, you're trying to dump me in a_ noble _fashion? So that I have no right to be_ mad? _" John pointed his finger at her, angrily. "Well, guess what? That's_ not _gonna work. I'm going to_ yell. _And I'm going to be_ angry. _And I… I…" He dropped his head and sighed, heavily._

 _Diana felt her heart sink. She could see how much her decision was hurting him as she gingerly held his gift in her palm. But the vision Darkstar had shown her felt so real. If there was a chance that Asgard was in danger, she needed to fight by her father's side. She embraced him tightly, as if it were for the last time._

" _I'm_ sorry _." He breathed._

" _I_ forgive _you…" She kissed him, lovingly, and handed the engagement ring back to him. "And my heart will_ always _belong to you."_

 _In a flash of lightning, Thunder Woman and Delta-Ray Donna teleported to Asgard. Leaving Major John Foster to tearfully look on. "Goodbye, Angel…"_

* * *

 **JLA Headquarters. Three Hours After the Incident**

The room was deathly quiet. Sharon and Bart were trying to keep Steve calm as he paced around the main hall. Wally had been framed, he just knew it. And now, his son was out there, being hunted down like a criminal.

To make matters worse, the new King of Wakanda, Benjamin T'Challa, had taken his father's death as proof of the Act's necessity. He swore to press the Act further, ensuring that all superhumans would be registered. The Justice Legion had heard stories that the previous King was once a hero to his own people, dubbed the Bronze Panther. Some of them wondered if Benjamin would take up that mantle as well.

Karen was waiting outside the office of Director Hill, waiting to hear what would happen to her cousin. Via holographic messaging, the UN conversed with Hill and Tony about the situation. She was visibly worried; so far, the media was tearing him apart.

" _-from what_ I _heard, it sounded like Hyperman had a chance to save those people, but_ chose _not to."_

" _From what_ I _heard, it sounded like he was taken by_ surprise _."_

" _Oh,_ please _. The man has_ fifty different visions _. How could he_ not _see it coming? It seems to_ me _that perhaps he_ wanted _the people in that summit to die in order to prevent the new_ Superhuman Registration Act _from-"_

Bart turned off the TV in disgust. "Ugh! Why do we still have _Kno_ _x News?_ " He and Tim sat next to their friend, trying to comfort her.

"I want to go _shopping_." She said, at last.

"What?" Tim and Bart shared a perplexed look. Karen looked up at them, trying to hide her feelings with a false smile.

"The scientists at S.T.A.R. Labs made a special fabric that can match the density of my skin. It's _pretty cool_."

"Okay… sure, let's go." Bart agreed. The youngest Avengers helped her find S.H.I.E.L.D.'s science lab. "I'm thinking something, like, a _scarf_. And a _chest window_. And, maybe, even _long, silky gloves_ that go all the way up to the _elbow_. What do you guys think?"

"Uh… how about we take a break from the _skirt?_ " Tim offered.

"And, if you're getting a _scarf_ , maybe we should lose the _cape?_ " Bart added. "Oh! And a _belt_ with the _'H'_ stamped on the buckle.

" _Good idea…_ " She smiled. They didn't realize that she was using her hyper-hearing, and she heard everything that they was saying. She knew what would happen to her cousin.

At last, Kent and Tony stepped out of the office. Steve immediately rushed up to his oldest friend. "Kent! Are you _okay?_ What did they say?"

"Steve, I…" Hyperman hugged Steve, tightly. " _Thank you_ , for being my _friend._ "

"Uh… _no problem_." Steve patted his back, and the Radonian went off to find Karen.

"Steve… can I _talk_ to you?" Tony led the soldier to Prof. Selvig's old lab. Steve could tell the last few days were just as hard for him as they were for the others. He still felt guilty for what happened to Martin and Ronnie, and he always would. Steve knew what they were going to discuss.

"So, who _else_ has signed the Act, already?" He asked.

"Matt, Tim, Mirage, Rhodey, Selina, and _Karen_. I thought _this_ would make it a little _easier_. Considering how much you _love_ American history." Tony opened the case, revealing two antique feather pens. "These are the pens John Adams and Thomas Jefferson used to sign the documents in the 1801 Inauguration. Adams didn't really _like_ Jefferson. But he still handed presidency over to him, _peacefully_. Because he knew things needed to _change_."

Steve fiddled with the pen in his hands. "I'm _sorry,_ Tony." He sighed. "I can't let my _conscience_ be _regulated_. If I see a situation headed South, I can't _ignore it_. Sometimes, I wish I _could_."

Tony rubbed his forehead. He was obviously tired and frustrated from the amount of pressure placed on his shoulders. "Y'know, sometime I wanna _punch_ you in your perfect teeth. My _dad_ used to tell me how _stubborn_ you were, but he also knew you always did the _right thing_."

As Tony went on, Steve glanced out the window. Kent and Karen shared a hug just before Kent walked away. Karen looked like she was sobbing. "What in _God's name_ is Karen _wearing?_ " He got up from the table, prompting Tony to look, too. "Where's _Kent_ going?" He looked back at Tony, who looked like he was ashamed of himself. Suddenly, Steve remembered what Kent said to him earlier. "Tony… _where_ is Kent _going?_ "

"... The U.N. has ordered Hyperman to _leave_ Earth." Tony sighed.

" _What?!_ " Steve shouted. "And you just _stood by_ and _watched?!_ "

"What did you want me to _do?_ " Tony defended. " _What_ did you want me to _do?!_ They used _every loophole_ against him! He's _not_ a _citizen_ of any country! And it's not like they hand out _green cards_ to _aliens_ from other _planets!_ "

"He's supposed to be our _friend!_ "

"Will you cut me some _slack!_ " Tony slammed his fist on the table. "You think I _want this?!_ It _just happened!_ The whole _world_ is against us, right now, and I'm _trying_ to keep-"

"Oh, just _cut_ the _bullshit_ , alright?! _Cut it!_ " Steve interrupted. "Because I've _been there_. I _know_ what it's like to have the world against you. But I didn't let anyone try to _control me_. I took responsibility for my actions _on my own accords_. I made sure that I _understood_ the _depths_ of my mistakes _every day_. Because _that's_ what a man _does!_ "

"Fine, Steve!" Tony threw his arms up in the air. "You _win!_ You're a _real man!_ Hey, in fact, you're a _better man_ than _me_ … you _happy…?_ Now, are you gonna _sign it_ , or _not?_ "

Steve steadied his breathing. He hated seeing Tony like this, but it didn't change anything. He graciously put the pen back on the table. "I'd hate to _break up_ the set." He made his way out of the room.

" _Hey, Steve? You there?"_ Steve's comm-link activated.

"I'm _here_ , Sam. What's up?"

" _I_ found _him. I'm sending you our_ coordinates _."_

Steve had never ran so fast in his life. He found the two in an abandoned auto-repair shop. Sam was guarding the entryway so that only Steve could get in. Wally was sitting in the corner, with his head between his knees. Steve slowly made his way over to him and knelt down.

"Wally?" He asked, softly. "Do you _remember me?_ "

Wally looked up at his mentor. "Y-your mom's name was _Nora_. You wanted to become a _cop_ to make sure what happened to _you_ never happened to _anyone_ _else_. I _remember_."

"What _happened_ at the trial?"

"It wasn't _me_." He pleaded. "Zero was impersonating my lawyer. His _mask_ was off. Said he was working with _Zoom_."

"Zoom…" Steve growled. "Of _course!_ I should've _known_ he was behind this."

"This would've been a _lot_ easier if it'd happened a _month ago_." Sam crossed his arms.

"Sam… you're a _good man_." Steve patted the former Air Force pilot's shoulder. "I'm not gonna _force you_ or the _others_ to come with us. If you _do_ , Tony's coming _after you_."

"I _know_ …" Sam nodded. "So, when do we _leave?_ "

* * *

 **Colombia, Mexico**

Jaime Morales skated through his hometown, listening to _Left Hand Free_ on his music player. He had just left the store with a gallon of milk and a dozen eggs, and was on his way back home. On his way, a few people muttered some cruel remarks about his dual heritage. He always heard them, but ever since what happened to his little sister last year, he didn't let it bother him anymore.

When he finally got to his house, he saw a limousine parked in the drive-way. He reached for his keys in his pocket and opened the front door. ("Mom! Dad! I'm home!") He took out the earbuds and set the groceries on the kitchen counter.

("We're in the _living room!_ ")

Jaime went to his room, where he put his skateboard and backpack on the bed, before joining his parents. ("Hey, guys, did you see the _limo_ parked out front?")

("Ah, that's _mine_.") Jaime froze in his tracks. Tony Jordan - Emerald Man - was talking to his parents. ("These _date cookies_ are simply _astonishing_ , Mrs. Morales!")

("Oh, _thank you!_ ") Jaime's mom was very excited.

("Jaime, why didn't you _tell us_ you got in?!") His dad asked.

("Uh… well, I, uh…") Jaime was excited, nervous, and terrified all at once. The little voice in his head that he'd gotten used to didn't say that a threat was present, so he didn't know what to do. ("I wanted it to be a _surprise_ … because, uh… _you're_ always telling me I should learn to do things by _myself_. And when I heard about… uh…")

("The _internship_.") Tony finished for him.

("The _internship_ , I wanted to see if I could _cut it_.")

("Mr. and Mrs. Morales, would you mind if I speak to Jaime _alone_. Y'know, just, got over a few _details_.")

("Oh, of _course_ , Mr. Jordan!") Jaime's mom was ecstatic.

Tony followed Jaime to his room and locked the door. ("Listen, kid, I just learned Spanish a _few hours_ ago, so I'm still a bit _rusty_. But your folks told me you speak _English_ pretty good. So, do you _mind?_ ")

"Uh… _no_ , not at _all_." Jaime sat down on his bed while Tony used his ring to activate a surveillance screen. "Look, man, I didn't _apply_ to an _internship_. I'm just-"

"That's _you_ , right?" Tony played a video of a young man dressed in black, stopping two buses colliding with each other. " _Wow_ , _five tons_ _of steel_. That must've been _exciting_."

"Uh… _what?_ " Jaime chuckled. "That-that's not _me_. I mean, you found that on the _internet,_ right? So, it's _obviously_ fake. There's no _proof_ that-"

"Mmm- _hmm_ …" Tony opened his closet door, revealing the black suit. "So, _you're_ the _Black Bug?_ "

"... Black _Beetle_." Jaime corrected. "Look, I-I can't let my parents find out, okay? After what's happened to them, already, they'd _never_ understand."

Tony sat down beside him. "I'm not gonna _tell_. You've heard of the Superhuman Registration Act, right?" Jaime nodded. "Well, the U.N. wants to _expand_ the JLA across the _world_. How would _you_ like to be the _first official_ Avenger of Mexico?"

"M- _me?_ " Jaime's eyes widened. "You want _me_ to be an Avenger?"

"Yeah!" Tony smiled. "Well, you'd need to _wait_ until you're of _age_ before you get to do the _big stuff_. And let me take a _look_ at that _thing_ in the back of your _neck_." Tony gentle tugged the back of Jaime's shirt down. Stuck to the boy's neck was a black piece of metal, flashing with blue energy. "What _is_ it?"

"Uh… I don't really _know_ …" Jaime answered. "I was _skating_ last year and all of a sudden, I see a _meteor_ falling. And I found _this thing_. Next thing I know, it _crawls_ up my arm and attaches to my _neck_. And _now_ , I've got these _powers_ , but I don't really know how to _control them_."

"I can help with that." Tony clapped his hands together and went to the door. "We'll check it out at the _lab_ in New York."

" _New York?_ I can't go to _New York_."

"Why _not?_ "

"I've got… _homework_."

"Okay, I'm gonna pretend I didn't _hear that_." Tony rolled his eyes and went back into the living room. "Start packing. I'll take care of _everything_."

Jaime laughed softly in disbelief. He was going to be working for Emerald Man, his childhood hero. "Wow… this is gonna be _awesome_ …" The voice in his head piped up again. " _No,_ it would _not_ have been _preferable_ to have _vaporized him_ when he discovered the costume!"

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Jaime Morales aka Black Beetle(Miles Morales/Blue Beetle III)**


	68. CIVIL WAR part 4

**Chapter XXIII: CIVIL WAR! Part 4**

 **JLA Headquarters**

Tod held his last cigarette in-between his fingers as he gazed into the glass tube. The young man looked exactly like Tod's friend, Bart Parker, but his face was severely scarred on one side. After H.I.D.R.A.'s defeat, S.H.I.E.L.D. took the liberty of confiscating all of their scientific projects, including their projects on biological cloning. With Hyperman gone and Speedster-Man preferring to retire, Mastergirl and Momentum would be reprogrammed and take their place.

"I take it, H.I.D.R.A. wasn't _very good_ at this stuff?" Tod chortled, half-heartedly. "Why's he _look_ like that?"

 _["The scientific division believes that the deoxyribonucleic acid samples taken from Master Parker and Miss Danvers were_ damaged _at some point."]_ Silver explained. _["As a result, the subjects have been slowly suffering the effects of molecular instability."]_

Momentum slowly opened his eyes, taking notice of the muta-human in front of him. The corrupted clone took off the oxygen mask strapped to his face, smiling wickedly as he ran a finger across his throat. Tod responded by puffing a perfect smoke circle at the tube. " _Prick_." He muttered, and put out the cigarette. He reached back into his pocket, only to find that it was empty.

"I'm _out_." He informed his friend. "I'm going to the store, you _want_ anything?"

 _["Alternatively,_ I _could go_ instead? _"]_ Silver stepped in front of him, blocking his path. This made him feel suspicious.

"Silver…?"

The android held up their palm, activating a holographic image of Tony Jordan. _"Look,_ I'm _grateful for what you and Tod did to help the X-Patrol. If you guys hadn't stepped in, who_ knows _what could've happened? But, it was_ still _a violation of his probation. So, the U.N. wants to keep him in the facility for a while, until he's made his choice about the Registration Act."_

"So, I'm _grounded?_ " Tod crossed his arms.

 _["Tod,_ please _, try to understand-"]_

"Oh, don't worry, _Mirage_ …" Tod started to walk away, making sure they could still hear him. "I understand, _perfectly;_ you guys wanna _lock me up_ because I'm dangerous to _normal people_. Just like _Francs_ and _Stryker_. Only they were _honest_ about it."

Silver wanted to say something, but they couldn't process a proper response. As their friend went up to his room, they noticed the tone his voice used when addressing their name. They didn't like it.

Tod slammed the door behind him and flopped down on his bed. He looked down at his hand, gently rubbing the spot where his green star used to be. "Oh, Jenny… I wish _you_ were here… _you'd_ know what to do…"

"I'm sure she wouldn't want to see you _moping_."

Tod sat up, quickly, scanning the room with his eyes. He looked up, thoughtfully. "Uh… if you're who I _think_ you are I need to get a few things off my _chest_." Just then, a woman in a glowing suit appeared out of thin air. She took off her mask and flashed him a comforting smile. "Oh, _Sharon_ …" He sighed. "What, uh, what's _up?_ "

"Well, now that you've heard _Jordan's offer_ , time to hear the _Democratic response_." Sharon stepped closer to the young man. "Steve is putting a team together to help Wally. And he wanted me to see if _you'd_ want to come with us." Sharon's smile disappeared, replaced with a serious expression. "But if you _do_ , they might _lock you up_ in something less comfortable than _this_."

 _["Tod?"]_ Mirage's voice came from outside, followed by a firm knock. They were determined not to startle him again. _["Tod? Can we please_ talk? _I… I want to make sure you're alright."]_ Mirage waited a few moments, trying their best not to sound intruding. But they couldn't hear anything inside. _["Tod?"]_

At last the door opened, with Tod standing behind it. Mirage smiled, slightly, thinking that he had changed his mind. He beckoned for them to come closer, putting his arms around their waist. As he gazed into their glass eyes, they felt a strange heat rise up in their chest cavity. Before they could say anything, he pressed his lips against theirs, making the humanoid machine overload from the rush of emotions. Their eyes began to close, as well, deepening the kiss.

"I'm _sorry_ …" He whispered, sending his black smoke down their throat. "Show me your _fears_."

 _Alan Hammond tugged Mirage's arm towards him as he glowed with green flames._ ["This is _my_ body! It belongs to _me!_ "]

["Negative!"] _Aya argued as her digital body tried to invade Mirage's software._ ["It was _my_ programming that gave it new _meaning!_ It belongs to _me!_ "]

["Back _away…_ "] _Ultriac-5 vaporized Alan Hammond and deleted Aya from existence._ ["This is _my_ little project. Nothing _more_ , nothing _less_."]

 _Mirage felt helpless as the alien machine forced his fingers into their body, slowly assimilating them. They wanted to cry, but tears were a human feature. And they would_ never _be human._

"We gotta go, _now_." Tod instructed Sharon as the robot fell to their knees. "That's not gonna hold them for _long_." As Tod made his way out the door, Sharon looked back and saw Mirage's Ring glowing, brightly.

"That's not gonna hold them _at all_."

* * *

Later, Sharon and Tod arrived at Steve's secret hideaway. As he scanned the room, he saw Sam, Oliver, and Wally. Steve shook the muta's hand and smiled, sadly. "Did Sharon brief you on what we're doing?"

"Uh, something about _'your arch-nemesis?'_ " Tod responded.

"Tod, _listen_ to me." Steve placed both his hands on the young man's shoulders. "You're only _nineteen._ You've got your _whole life_ ahead of you. I don't want to _force you_ to throw it away. We're _outside_ the law on this one, so if you _come_ with us, you're a _criminal_."

Tod tilted his head, slightly, chuckling at Steve's words. "So, nothing I'm not _used_ to."

"Tod, this is _serious_."

"And you think _I'm not?_ " Tod snapped his fingers, making his costume spread over his street clothes. "I'm _in_. Where's _Bart?_ "

"He's saying goodbye to his Aunt and Felicity." Steve answered. "We'll get him up to speed when he gets here."

"So, what's the _plan,_ Steve?" Oliver stepped forward.

"Somehow, Red Zoom has _hidden himself_ from my view in the Speed Force, but he _can't_ hide his _vibrational frequency_. If we can get our hands on some of S.H.I.E.L.D's tech, I can create an _amplifier_ to enhance my perception of the Speed Force and track him down."

"That's _easy_." Sharon replied. "Every standard S.H.I.E.L.D. airship contains a basic laboratory for discovery missions. We get a _ship_ , we get _Red Zoom_."

"Let's _suit up_." Steve ordered.

The renegade heroes made their way out of the hideout and headed for their former headquarters. Steel Falcon went into the air, searching the facility for an airship, while Wally kept watch over him from the ground. Hornet, Sharpshot, and Darkstar positioned themselves around the area, ready to take action. Flag simply walked out onto the facility's runway, trying to draw the enemy out.

" _The enemy…"_ He thought. _"I never thought I'd call my friends that."_

Suddenly, a green laser blasted into the ground, right in front of Flag's feet. Emerald Man and Green Machine flew down to intercept him. Tony retracted his mask, looking at Flag with a disappointed expression.

"Wow, it's _so weird_ how you run into people at the airport." He snarked. "Isn't it _weird?_ "

" _Definitely_ weird." Rhodey agreed.

A man in a bronze suit followed, shortly after. He took off his mask, revealing the face of King Benjamin T'Challa. " _Captain_." He greeted, calmly. Flag could see the rage in his eyes; the familiar hatred he felt when he lost Wally.

"Hill gave us _twenty-four hours_ to bring you guys in. That was _ten hours ago_. Help a friend in need?"

"Look, Tony, it wasn't _Wally_. The _lawyer_ , he was _Zero_ in disguise. He's working with _Red Zoom_. We need to _stop_ them."

"Your judgement is _invalid_. Your old _war buddy_ killed _twenty people_ yesterday."

"No! The person who _framed him_ is still _out there_."

"Captain Allen…" Flag turned to see Black Cat and Marvelgirl stepping towards him. The young Radonian was trying to keep a strong composure. "You _know_ what they're going to _do_ to you… do you really think you can _fight_ your way out of this?" Flag could see that the poor girl missed her cousin, but now was no time for emotion.

"Alright, I've run out of _patience_." Tony cupped his hands over his mouth. " _Training wheels!_ "

Out of nowhere, a ball of blue energy struck Flag's shield out of his hand. The shield ricocheted off the ground and a young man in a black suit flew threw the air to catch it. Blue energy coursed over his body as he retracted his wings. The Black Beetle was now officially in action.

"Great work, kid." Tony gave a thumbs up.

"Thanks. Well, I could've stuck the _landing_ a little better, it's just that my scarab's still adjusting to the new _tech_. Oh, no! It's _nothing,_ Senor Jordan, it's _perfect!_ " The boy stammered.

"Yeah, we don't _really_ need to start a _conversation_ right now."

"Okay… uh, _Captain…_ " He waved, timidly. " _Big fan_. _Black Beetle_. Everything is just… _whoo, boy_."

"You've been _busy_." Flag commented.

"And you've been a _complete idiot!_ " Tony snapped. " _Coercing_ Bart, _kidnapping_ Tod. Do you have _any_ idea what I'm trying to _do_ for us?! I'm trying to keep you from _tearing_ the Justice Legion _apart!_ "

"You did that, _yourself_ , when you _signed_."

"Okay… _that's it_. You're gonna turn over Barnes, and come with _us_. Because it's _us!_ Not a bunch of _S.W.A.T._ units with no _compunction_ about being impolite!"

" _I found it!"_ Sam's voice sounded off in everyone's comm-link. _"Third hangar!"_

"Alright, Hornet. _You're up_." Flag ordered.

Hornet reverted back to her normal size, kicked Black Beetle away, and caught her leader's shield. "I believe this is _yours_ , Flag." Tony put his mask back on and the two armored Avengers flew into the air.

"Okay, I guess we're _doing this!_ " Emerald Man fired at Flag, which he deflected with his shield.

"I've got _visual_ on Barnes. _East terminal_. I _got_ him." Green Machine offered.

"Barnes is _mine!_ " Bronze Panther dashed towards the terminal. Flag rushed after him, tripping him up from the draft left behind. The African King glared at the American soldier through his mask. "You cannot protect your friend from me, Captain. _Move_ or _be_ moved."

"Hey, Senor Jordan, what should I do?" Black Beetle was nervous.

"What we _discussed_. Blast them _away_. Keep your _distance_."

"Right, _got it!_ " His wings flipped out from his back, and the Latino hero flew to the East terminal.

Falcon met up with Wally inside the terminal, and the duo were now hurrying to the hangar. Wally glanced out the window and saw Black Beetle rushing towards them. "What the hell is _that?!_ "

" _Everyone's_ got a _gimmick_ now!" Sam muttered.

Black Beetle crashed through the window and knocked Falcon into the directory. Wally tried to kick him, but the boy caught it with ease. "You have a _metal leg?!_ " He sounded, excited. "That is _awesome_ , hermano!" Wally swung his leg back and flung his adversary into the air. "You have the _right_ to remain _silent!_ " Two large cannons appeared around Black Beetle's arms firing blue lasers.

Wally ripped a bench out of the ground and threw it at Beetle. Then, he went to help Falcon. "Hey, _companero,_ I think you _dropped this!_ " The bench hit Wally in the back, making him collapse onto Sam. Black Beetle landed next to them and aimed one arm laser at them. "Look, guys, I _hate_ to do this, but I've only got _one job_ today and I've _gotta impress_ Senor Jordan. So… _sorry_."

But before he could fire, a web made of pure light attached to his back and he was flung back outside. He looked up and saw a young adult in a red and blue suit with white goggles. " _Hey_ , everyone." Speedster-Man announced. He stepped forward as Black Beetle regained his composure. "Whaddaya say we settle this, _arachnid_ to _insect?_ "

Meanwhile, Hornet and Sharpshot attacked Black Cat and Green Machine. "Sorry, _girl_ …" Selina groaned as her electro-claws extended. "This won't _kill you_ but it's not going to _tickle_ , either." She lunged at Hornet, but the heroine grabbed her arm at the last minute and shrank down. As Black Cat flew through the air, Sharpshot fired a net-arrow that tangled her up.

Green Machine used his ring to create a minigun out of the green energy. He opened fire on Sharpshot, who retaliated with a scatter-blast-arrow. But Marvelgirl blocked the arrow with her body and flew down in front of the archer.

"Marvelgirl, you don't _understand_ what's going on…" He tried to reason with her.

"It's _Captain Hyper_ , now." Karen breathed as she pushed him back thirty feet. "And Jordan _said_ you'd say that." Sharpshot reached for another arrow, but was stopped by Gargoyle's shuriken. Before Captain Hyper could advance, she found herself shrouded in darkness. Captain Hyper slammed her fist on the ground, sending plasma-bolts through the ground until Darkstar fell to the ground.

The muta-human rose back up to his feet, only to come face-to-face with his former roommate. _["It is as I said…"]_ Mirage said, gravely. _["_ Catastrophe. _"]_

"We don't _have_ to do this…" Tod offered his closest friend.

 _["I'm afraid we have_ no choice _."]_

Just then, Bronze Panther launched Flag into the air, and Emerald Man blasted him into a plane. Wally ran over to help him, and Panther advanced. Fortunately, Flag spun his arm a tremendous speed that created a tornado that blew the King away. Wally noticed that Emerald Man was distracted by Darkstar's fight with Captain Hyper and Mirage, but it wouldn't last forever.

"Steve… for all we know, Zoom and Zero are already moving on to the next step of their plan."

"Wally's _right_ , Flag." Hornet popped up. "We're wasting _too much time_."

" _You and Wally need to get to that jet!"_ Falcon agreed.

"Alright…" Flag sighed. "What's the _plan?_ "

" _We need a_ diversion! _"_ Sharpshot suggested as he blocked Gargoyle's punch. _"Something_ big! _"_

"Big…?" Sharon took off her helmet and looked at the speedsters. " _I've_ got something _big_. But I can't _hold it_ for long. So, when I give the signal, _run like hell_. And if I tear myself in _half_ , don't come _back_ for me."

"Wait, what?" Steve took off his own mask and grabbed his wife's arm. "Sharon, no! I'm not going to let you _jeopardize_ yourself!"

"Steve… we discussed this when we got _married_." Sharon put her hands on his head. "When it comes to saving the world, we can't let our _personal feelings_ get in the way of doing _what's right_. I'll be _fine_.." She gave her husband a loving kiss, only pulling away at the sound of an explosion. She put her helmet back on and shrank down. "Now, go _save the world_."

"Wait!" Steve called out. "What's the _signal?_ "

"You'll _know it_ when you _see it!_ " She assured him. Steeling her nerves, Hornet flew high into the sky and grabbed ahold of Green Machine's armor. She adjusted the growth controls on her left glove, closed her eyes, and pressed the button on her palm.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Everyone was shocked as Sharon grew thirty feet in height and was now holding Green Machine in her hands like a toy soldier.

" _Mierda!_ " Black Beetle shrieked.

"...I think _that's_ the signal." Wally thought aloud, still in awe of the tremendous sight. The two speedsters ran into the hangar in the blink of an eye. Bronze Panther chased after them, but was stopped when Hornet stepped in front of him.

"YOU WANNA GET TO THEM? YOU GOTTA GO THROUGH _ME!_ " Hornet kicked the African King away from the hangar, giving Steve and Wally the time they needed to get the jet in the air.

"Okay, anyone on _our side_ hiding some sort of _astonishing_ and _showcase worthy_ abilities?" Tony spoke to his comrades. "I'm open to _suggestions._ "

Black Beetle tried to fly after them, but Speedster-Man webbed his both of his wings. This gave him a chance to propel into the air and slam down onto his back. While he was down, he fired more webs, keeping his enemy pinned to the ground.

"Sorry, pal." Bart quipped. "This town ain't _big enough_ for _two_ slender super-heroes."

"I _agree_ , muchacho." Black Beetle formed a blade around his arm and sliced the webs away and flew into the air again. Speedster-Man ducked out of the way just in time, only to meet Dare. The Boy Daredevil swung his bo staff, trying to hit one of the speedster's pressure points. Just as Speedster-Man caught the staff, Dare found himself facing his sparring partner.

"We're still _friends_ , right?" He asked.

"Depends on how _hard_ you hit me." Bart replied. With that, Dare brought his bo down on Bart's head, taking him out of the fight.

Emerald Man was finally catching up to Flag's ship, but he looked back to see that Sharon was still beating his allies. Against his better judgement, he let Flag go and circled back. "Okay, I've got an _idea_. Rhodey, you're with me. Beetle, when I say _'go'_ aim for her _legs_."

The other Avengers understood and got into position. Sharon tried to move, but at such a size she had almost no maneuverability. Tony and Rhodey struck her in the chin, and she stumbled backwards.

"GO!"

Black Beetle accelerated forward, tackling her leg. The giant Avenger fll to the ground, accidentally hitting Beetle on the way down. She couldn't get up; she had used all of her strength. In her last moment of consciousness, she pressed the button on her right palm and reverted back to her normal size.

Sam and Oliver rushed to her side, forgetting about the people they were fighting. Luckily, she was still alive. While the others rushed to apprehend them, Tony flew down to check on Jaime. His heartbeat stopped for a moment, as it didn't seem like the boy was breathing.

" _No… not again…"_ He thought to himself.

"Ah!" Jamie opened his eyes, startled that his mask had been knocked off. He stopped struggling when he saw his mentor standing above him. "Oh… _hey, man_ …"

"Yeah, good job, kid." Tony patted him on the shoulder.

On the airship, Wally was flying forward as fast as he could, while Steve fiddled with the onboard computers.

"What's gonna _happen_ to your _friends?_ " He asked, mournfully.

"We'll figure something _out_." Steve assured him. "We _always do_."

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Author's Note:** __ **This was a long chapter! I hope you're happy!**

 **In case it gets confusing sometimes, here's the team rosters…**

 **Team Flag: Flag, Wally, Hornet, Steel Falcon, Speedster-Man, Sharpshot, and Darkstar**

 **Team Emerald Man: Emerald Man, Green Machine, Black Cat, Captain Hyper(Marvelgirl), Mirage, Black Beetle, and Bronze Panther**


	69. CIVIL WAR part 5

**Chapter XXIII: CIVIL WAR! Part 5**

 **Unknown Location**

Carter Howlett breathed heavily as Minerva sharpened her knives. The sorceress was very cross; her hypnosis spell hadn't revealed anything useful to her. Her captive's mind was a blank slate, unable to reveal anything about his past. As a result, she was resorting back to torture.

"Do you know what I _love_ about torture, Mr. Howlett?" She smiled, sinisterly. "Well, you probably don't have the _patience_ for me to list _all_ of the reasons, but it's mostly because there is _always_ another _gear_ to find." Carter flinched at the teeth-rattling noise of the blade scraping the flint.

"But that _bastard_ , Red Zoom, has taken all the _fun_ out of it…" She continued, mournfully, as she stepped closer to the muta-human. "And do you know _why?_ He has this _inane tendency_ to treat me like a _minion_ … and do you _know_ what minions all have in _common?_ They all wind up _dead!_ A fate _I_ am _trying_ to _avoid!_ "

"Listen up, you crazy _whore_ …" Carter snapped. "If you're gonna use that knife, _use it_. Just put me out of my _misery_. I have been _kidnapped twice_ , now. I have _no idea_ who I am. And now, _four psychopaths_ think they can get something _I don't have_ outta me! So, as far as _I'm_ concerned, you can take your _fate_ and stick it up your _bony little a-AH!_ "

Normally, Minerva would've cut out a man's tongue for speaking to her in such an insulting manner. But while he was snarling, she'd noticed something about his molars. She gripped his jaw, fiercely, and peered into his mouth. " _Next question_ … when was the last time you had _dental work_ done?"

Later, Amora confidently stepped out of the room and met her comrades. "Well, gentlemen, the _spell_ didn't work, but I am _not_ empty-handed." She held up the spoils of her endeavor and showed it to them. "It's not in the _best_ condition, but, to be _fair,_ I doubt Egyptian slaves had very good _dental insurance_."

"You pulled out his _tooth?_ " Maxwell looked disgusted. "As far as torture goes, isn't that rather _bush league?_ "

"Look _closer_." She offered.

" _Thank you_ , but _no_." Maxwell scoffed.

Leonard, however, noticed what she was talking about. He picked up a magnifying glass and gingerly held the tooth as he inspected it. "There appear to be some sort of _markings_ on it."

"A _bar code_." Amora confirmed. " _Account information_. For a security deposit box in _Israel_."

"What?" Maxwell exclaimed. "Who puts that kind of information on part of their _body?_ "

"An _immortal_." Leonard surmised.

" _Precisely._ " Amora purred. "Now, there _is_ a possibility that that box contains all of _love letters_ Khufu wrote to Chay-ara, but given the amount of _security_ , I believe it has something _much more valuable_."

"Then what are we _waiting for?_ " Maxwell went to the building's arsenal, shortly followed by Amora. Leonard put the tooth down and followed them with an incredulous look.

"What do you two think you're _doing?_ "

"Making up our _minds_." Maxwell answered. "Eobard has such a _fascinating_ collection of weapons."

"We _can't_ just storm into the bank and _demand_ to see the deposit box!" He spluttered.

"We most certainly _can_ , we are a group of _sociopathic super-villains_." Amora retorted.

"This kind of operation requires _precision_ , not a _bloodbath!_ " Leonard snapped. "Howlett is an _asset_. One we can use to our _advantage_. To _not_ use him would be _foolish_."

"Well, seeing as how you've had a long _history_ of foolishness, Leonard, I suppose we will have to _agree_." Amora growled, deeply. "But if this plan _fails_ , Eobard isn't the one you have to _worry about_."

Leonard frowned at his two companions. The only reason he was there was to save his son from his mistake, but they were making it very difficult. Instinctively, he reached for his cold-gun in his belt's holster. "You know, one thing I hate _more_ than taking _orders_ from _Schmidt_ … is being _threatened_ by _you_." Maxwell and Amora shared an unimpressed glance before looking back at the former Nazi. "Luckily… I don't feel _threatened_." He shrugged.

Maxwell snorted, grabbed a futuristic firearm anyway, and went to get Carter prepared for their trip. The businessman placed a collar around the muta's neck to suppress his powers. Then he undid the restraints and handed Carter a suit. "Put that on, we're going for on _trip_."

Carter was still healing from his wounds, so he was in no position to argue. He figured that the best thing to do would be to play along until he had a chance to get away. Then he could get back to the school; back to Kendra.

The trio led him to a strange machine shaped like a doorway. Maxwell threw the switch, bathing the group in a strange green energy, and in the blink of an eye, they were walking up the steps to an elegant bank. The three villains tapped the return buttons on their watches, preparing for the moment they would teleport back to base. Leonard stuck his hand out in front of Carter and opened his palm.

"Put this in your _ear_." He said.

"What _is_ it?"

"It's a _communication device_." Maxwell answered. "Now _do it_ or I'll shove it down your _throat_."

" _Really?_ " Leonard snapped.

" _What?_ I'm _motivating_ him."

Leonard rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Carter. "Alright, Mr. Howlett… you will go up to the _teller_ , introduce yourself, ask to see deposit box number _four-four-eight-one_ , and then bring the contents of _said box_ to us. Do _that_ , and you are _free_ to go home."

"Four-four-eight-one." Carter repeated. " _Got it_." As the trio sat down in a secluded corner of the bank's lobby, Carter made his way to the teller. All he had to do now was play along a little further until they were out of sight. Then he would escape. "Um, _hi_." He greeted the young woman. "My name is _Carter Howlett_. I'd like deposit box _four-four-eight-one_."

"Why, _of course_ , sir… just have a _seat_ and we'll get the _paperwork_ sorted out."

Meanwhile, Leonard addressed his cohorts. "So, what do you think is _wrong_ with him?"

"Isn't it _obvious?_ " Maxwell replied. "His brain is _pudding_."

"Not _Howlett_." Leonard growled. "I'm talking about _Schmidt._ "

"What do you mean?" Amora sounded curious.

"I can't be the _only one_ among us who's noticed how he tends to _run away_ so often."

"Well, this is just a _wild guess_ but, perhaps, that's why they're referred to as _speedsters_." Maxwell replied, sarcastically.

"Oh, _really?_ You two, _honestly,_ believe that he left us to fight of the X-Patrol on our own because he had a more _pressing matter_ to attend to?" Leonard leaned in closer. "Schmidt is _hiding something_ from us… would you like to find out what it _is?_ "

Amora chuckled. "Eobard _warned me_ that you and I never _met_ in the future. Do I really become so _stupid,_ you think I'd _fall_ for your pathetic _mind tricks?_ "

"I am _not_ trying to trick you-"

"Oh, _please!_ " Maxwell interrupted. "In a group such as _ours_ , turning the rest against _one person_ for your own personal benefit is not only _evident_ , but _cliche_."

"Will you both let go of your egos for _one minute_ and _listen to me?!_ " Leonard snapped, trying to keep his voice down to avoid attention. "You don't _know_ Zoom like _I_ do! He is a _manipulative_ and _cunning man_ who will most likely _betray us_ when he gets what he _wants!_ He does not _see us_ as _equals_ , and until he _does_ , _none of us_ are going to get what _we_ want!"

Maxwell and Amora shared a quick glance. "Go _on_ …" Maxwell motioned.

"I've been thinking about what he said to us, _earlier_."

"That he was going to _kill us_ if we _fail?_ " Amora asked.

" _No_. That he didn't know _why_ he was _relying_ on us. That's a _fair question_. Why does a _seemingly invincible speedster_ need to rely on _anyone?_ "

"What are you _implying?_ " Maxwell sounded interested.

"What if he needs us to help him because he's not just _chasing after_ something, but he is also _running_ from something? And until we _find it_ , it won't stop _chasing him?_ "

"That's an interesting theory…" Maxwell rubbed his chin in contemplation. "Unfortunately, it _is_ just a _theory_."

"Well, then we _treat it_ like a theory." Leonard offered. "We apply the _scientific method_. Perform an _experiment._ "

" _Yes_ , but there is only _one way_ we could do that: we would have to _trap_ Schmidt in _one place_ and see what would _happen_."

" _About that…_ " Leonard smirked, taking a roll of paper out of his coat pocket and laid it out in front of the group. "This deposit box we're looking for is inside a special vault that has an _energized lock_. Now, against my better judgement, what say we resort to _your_ method, and _draw him out?_ "

" _I'm_ in." Amora purred, happily.

"Hmm… a _terrorist_ with a _cold-gun_ , an _Aztec witch_ , and a _master tactician_ versus a _speedster_." Maxwell grinned and pulled the firearm out of his pocket. "I _like_ those odds."

What happened next was absolute chaos. Carter looked back to see his captors killing everyone inside the bank. Acting quickly, he grabbed the teller and snuck them out through the back, hoping the villains wouldn't follow him. When all was said and done, Leonard froze the doorways and exits and then made his way over to the bank's vault. He entered the code into the keypad, and the large door opened.

"How'd you get the _code?_ " Amora inquired.

"From the _bank manager_." Leonard replied. "It only cost him _four fingers_."

Once inside, Maxwell tapped another button on his watch, activating a beacon to summon Red Zoom. Leonard found the right deposit box and sat it down on a table.

But when he opened it, Amora and Maxwell saw his face twist in confusion. Their ally reached into the box and showed them a small metallic pyramid held in his fingertips. "Does this look like a _ring_ to either of you?"

Suddenly, a flash of red lightning, followed by a strong gust of wind, rushed into the vault. Eobard snatched the pyramid away from the Baron, and examined it, carefully. "It most _certainly_ does _not_." He smiled. "It's an _Adroan restrainer_."

"I'm sorry, are we supposed to know _what that is?_ " Amora crossed her arms.

"Seeing as how it's technology won't _officially_ be introduced to this planet for another three centuries, _no_." Zoom explained. "It is a device used to contain _small objects_ of _great power_. And unless I've _missed_ my guess…" The dark speedster began to shift the pieces, meticulously connecting certain panels and symbols. At last, the device opened, and Eobard's face was bathed in a radiant yellow energy.

 **"** _ **Yes…**_ **"** He smiled. **"Finally… the power is almost in my** _ **grasp!**_ **And soon, I shall** _ **conquer-**_ **"** Eobard was cut off when Leonard slammed the vault door shut. "What do you think you're _doing?_ "

"Renegotiating the terms of our _partnership_." Leonard replied. Amora and Maxwell smiled as their plan was put into action. "And it _is_ going to be a _partnership_. We want a better _guarantee_ that you'll _uphold_ your end of the bargain."

Eobard laughed, heartily, setting the pyramid down on the table and walking towards the Baron. "Oh, _Leonard, Leonard, Leonard_ … I will guarantee you _one thing_ , for certain; if you do not open that door, _right now_ …" He scowled and began to vibrate his arm in front of Zero's chest. "I will _kill you_."

Leonard sucked in a sharp hiss as a warning. "Oooh, that wouldn't be very _wise_. Considering _I'm_ the only person in this _room_ who knows the code to _open_ it."

Eobard's arm stopped vibrating and he turned to the others. "Maxwell? Amora? Perhaps _you_ can talk some sense into our friend?"

"Who, _me?_ " Maxwell mused, smugly. " _No_ , I think I'd rather see how this _turns out_."

"As would _I_." Amora added.

Suddenly, Eobard's gauntlet began to sound off again. "Oh! Just like _clockwork_." Leonard pressed on. " _Here's_ an interesting question: _why_ would someone with _super-speed_ always be in such a _hurry?_ "

"We don't have _time_ for this!" Eobard began to perspire.

"Oh, maybe _you_ don't, but _we_ have _all_ the _time_ in the _world_ …"

Eobard rushed over the the security panel, using his speed to try every possible code. But even with at his fantastic abilities, it was taking too long. The gauntlet alarmed a second time, and Leonard took sadistic pleasure in seeing Zoom frightened. At last, the speedster gave up.

"Okay! _Okay!_ " He spluttered. " _You win!_ I need _you_ as _much_ as you need _me!_ But if you do not _open_ that door, _right now,_ she is going to _kill us!_ She is _coming_ for me!"

" _Who's_ coming for you?" Maxwell asked, curiously.

"I-it's not a _'who,'_ it's a-a _'what!'_ A _'thing!'_ "

"What _thing?_ Could you be a _little more_ specific?" Amora was also enjoying the terrified look on Eobard's face.

"I-I made a _deal_ with a _fallen god_ named _Darkanos!_ "He explained. "If I could deliver the _Soul Ring_ to him, he would grant me the power I need to _kill_ the Flag without _erasing myself_ from existence!"

"I take it it didn't _go well?_ " Maxwell chuckled.

"No! I mean, _yes!_ I mean… ugh! _Technically_ , the deal is still in _play_. But I made a _miscalculation_ in regards to how much my time in the past would _alter history_. Darkanos grew _restless_ and when I last spoke with him, he said he was going to give me an _incentive_ to speed up my efforts. And shortly afterwards, I found myself… _pursued_ by something. At _first_ , I thought it was a _shadow demon;_ the monsters he uses as his personal soldiers. But, _recently,_ I was able to get a _glimpse_ of what's hunting me. And it is _much… much worse_ than a _shadow demon_. It is _death personified_. It's been _tracking me_ through the _Speed Force_ … and it wants to _kill me_."

"Well, _kudos_ to _you_ , Leonard." Amora applauded. "So, you're like a _shark_. You'll die if you stay in _one place_ for too long."

"We are _all_ going to die if you do not _open tha-!_ " A loud shriek echoed throughout the building, causing Eobard to freeze from terror. "It's _too late_ … it's _here_ … well, my friends, the _good news_ is that you've _achieved_ your goal of _balancing out_ our agreement. We are, now, _equally_ going to die!"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about _us_." Amora sniggered. "As you can _see_ this isn't the first _scary speedster_ we've _dealt with_."

"We're going to get you _out of here_ , Eobard. But on _one condition;_ you stop treating us like _cannon fodder_." Maxwell demanded.

Eobard snorted in disbelief. "You fools think you can stop _that?_ You are _welcome_ to _try!_ "

"Was that a _yes?_ " Leonard looked at the trio, realizing he had been defeated. The Nazi speedster finally nodded in agreement. "Good, then let's get to _work_. You said this thing has been following you from the _Speed Force?_ "

"Yes."

"Well, _what happens_ if you don't _use it?_ " Maxwell finished.

Eobard gulped, he knew what they were suggesting. Leonard opened the vault door and he, Maxwell, and Amora went to hide. While Eobard stood in the middle of the lobby, waiting for the predator to show itself. At last, sparks of black lightning scattered all over the floor, and a rotting corpse appeared out of nowhere. Eobard held his breath as it paced around the room, searching for him.

"Remember, Zoom…" Leonard whispered. "As long as you do not _move_ , she _cannot_ see you."

Just then, the walking corpse stood right in front of Zoom. The foul stench of death stung his nostrils as it unwittingly gazed at him. At last, Maxwell and Amora attacked, distracting it long enough for Leonard to freeze it. Eobard gasped and pulled the group close.

Once they were sure they had the Ring, Eobard tapped the emblem on his chest and the group was teleported to a grim castle, floating in space. While the others were awestruck, Zoom took the pyramid and kneeled before the supreme being sitting atop of the throne. "My _lord_ , Darkanos… I present to you… the _Soul Ring_."

Darkanos grinned and slowly made his way down to the Ring. He inspected it carefully in his hands before slipping it over his finger. "A perfect _fit_." He laughed. "You have _succeeded_ , Eobard Schmidt. And now, you shall have your _reward_ …"

Another alien being in glistening armor stepped out from the shadows. He crouched down in front of the time-traveler, extending his finger. "You must _know_ …" He warned. "Only those of _incredible will_ can _handle_ such power…"

"I have come _too far_ to stop now…" Eobard stated. " _Do it_."

The god tapped his finger against Schmidt's forehead, and the speedster buckled in pain. At first, Maxwell, Amora, and Leonard thought it would kill him, but Red Zoom tapped his neck, activating his helmet as his red lightning changed to black. His fists clenched as the dark energy spread throughout his veins, and he finally stood up. **"** _ **Yes… yessssss!**_ **"** He roared. **"Speed of** _ **Darkness…**_ **be** _ **mine! AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAA! I CAN FEEL IT!**_ **"** The lightning grew more powerful with every second. Red Zoom pumped his fists into the air, celebrating his triumph. **"** _ **POWER! UNLIMITED… POOOOWEEEEEEEEEEER!**_ **"**

At last, the lightning dissipated, leaving the three villains to marvel at what they had just witnessed. Zoom bowed a final time in gratitude and then made his way back to them.

 **"Mein Gott… I've never** _ **felt**_ **power like** _ **this**_ **before…"**

"Well, _now_ it's time to fulfill _your end_ of the bargain." Maxwell reminded.

 **"Of** _ **course**_ **."** Zoom nodded. **"A deal is a** _ **deal**_ **. Let us return home… and make some** _ **changes**_ **."**

With that, Eobard teleported them back to Earth where he upheld his promise. He went back in time to save Amora from being decapitated at the last moment, sending her back to the Amazon. Then, he saved Helmut Snart from joining the Justice Legion, leaving him to wait for his father. And at last, he took Maxwell back to the Markovian crater and presented him with the last remaining piece of Ultriac.

Now, phase two of his plan could begin.

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Well, folks, the Civil War has come and gone… Red Zoom and his Injustice Legion of Evil have what they want… Flag is on the run(pun intended)… Thunder Woman is back in Asgard… and Hyperman has been exiled… what will happen next? Find out in the next three extra-long chapter! Each part will be at least 5000 words long! Stay tuned for Chapter XXIV…**

 **DOOM!**


	70. With Liberty

**Chapter XXIV: With Liberty…**

 _ **Littlesburg, Kansas. 1918**_

 _Jonathan and Nora Milton were driving home from the doctor's office in town. Jonathan felt helpless as his wife silently cried next to him. Neither of them wanted to believe that she was unable to carry children, they had wanted to start a family ever since they had gotten married, but now it would never happen._

" _We could try to_ adopt _." He offered._

" _How?" She sobbed. "The closest adoption agency is in_ Arkansas _. Oh, John… I-I just_ can't _deal with this."_

" _Hey, hey…" He soothed. "We'll figure something_ out _. I_ promise _."_

 _Suddenly, a sonic boom echoed across the countryside, making the farmers jump. A bright light appeared out of the sky, hurtling towards them. Jonathan swerved the truck out of the way just in time, and they ran into a ditch. He got out of the car and went out to investigate. Nora followed, close behind him, reaching into the hatchback to grab an oil-lantern._

 _Whatever had fallen left a thick cloud of smoke that made it impossible to see, even with the lantern's light. Just then, Nora heard something in the distance. She handed Jonathan the lantern and followed the noise._

" _Nora? Where are you going?"_

" _I thought I_ heard _something… it sounded like_ crying _."_

 _Pushing past the stalks of corn, Nora gasped at the source of the noise. Jonathan stood right behind her, trying to get a good look. "What_ is _it?" He asked, holding up the lantern._

" _It… it…" When Nora turned around, Jonathan saw a bright smile on her face as she cradled a tiny infant, covered in a strange yellow substance. "It's a_ boy _… it's a_ beautiful baby boy! _"_

 _Jonathan face twisted into a smile, as well. But just then, the smoke started to clear, and the farmers returned their attention to the object that had fallen. Jonathan held the lantern up, and the couple gasped at the sight of it._

 _Sitting in the crater, was a strange craft, glowing from the heat. Nora and John saw that a glass windshield on the craft had been shattered, and the inside was covered in the same yellow substance that was on the baby. The farmer held the lantern up so that he could see his wife. As expected, she had the same startled expression as him._

" _Nora… you don't_ suppose…? _"_

* * *

 _ **Littlesburg, Kansas. 1930.**_

 _Kent Milton's eyes watered up as he looked down at the spaceship. His mother and father finally worked up the courage to show him the secret they guarded so fiercely in the barn's cellar. Kent always knew that he was different from everyone else in Littlesburg; he was faster, stronger, and resistant to pain. And now, as he gazed at the spaceship before him, he understood why._

" _Kent?" Nora called to him in between sobs. "Kent, sweetie, are you_ alright? _" But Kent wouldn't answer._

" _Kent, please, we're trying to-"_

" _Is 'Kent' even my_ real name?! _" The boy interrupted. "Who_ am _I?! Where did I_ come from?! _" The Miltons felt helpless. How could they give him the answers he so desperately needed? Kent continued to cry until he managed to speak again. "C-can't I just… keep_ pretending _that I'm your son?"_

" _You_ are _our son!" Jonathan pulled the boy into a tight bear hug. Nora breathed heavily and joined the two, failing to hold back her own tears. "You may not be our_ child, _but you will_ always _be our_ son _."_

* * *

 _ **Littlesburg, Kansas, Two Days Ago.**_

 _Hyperman looked down at the lonely tombstones with an ache in his heart. A few hours ago, the United Nations had ordered him to leave Earth and never return. As a last request, he asked if he could say goodbye to everyone he cared for. After giving a final farewell to Kara, Steve, Ayesha, and then Lois, he was back home for the last time._

" _I need to say something that I should have said a long time ago…" He said, sadly. "When you_ found me _in that cornfield, you_ knew _that I was_ different _. That I was an_ alien _. But you_ took me in _. You_ raised me _and_ cared _for me, even though I was different. And before I leave, I just wanted to say…" Kent wiped his eyes before carrying on. "Thank you for being my_ mom and dad _."_

 _He left a bouquet of roses on the grave and flew off into the sky._

* * *

 _ **The Citadel of Isolation, Antarctica. Yesterday.**_

 _Maxwell Von Havoc was still tinkering with the technology Zoom had salvaged from Ultriac's ship by the time he reached Hyperman's base of operations. When he was finished, he integrated it with the technology in his suit and used it to open the massive door. Once inside, he bypassed the main computer, granting him access to all of its secrets._

["Greetings. How may I be of assistance to you?"] _The computer chimed._

" _Tell me how to_ kill _a_ Radonian _." Maxwell ordered. "And how to_ make it happen _."_

 _The computer hummed as it processed Von Havoc's request. Havoc read the screen's projections at a fantastic pace, until he had all the information he needed. Heading towards the Citadel's lab, he unearthed the remains of General Mar-Zod and placed him inside a device known as the matter enhancer._

 _Then, he added the Ruby of Cyttorak, a gift from Amora. The ruby dug into the alien's flesh, pulsating with a regenerative power. At last, before he activated the machine, Havoc cut the palm of his hand, letting the blood drip over Zod's face._

["Warning: It has been decreed by the Council of Radon that this creature shall never again be created."]

" _And where_ is _the Council of Radon?"_

["Destroyed, sir."]

" _Then_ proceed _."_

* * *

 **Mars. Present Day.**

Kent looked out into the endless void of space. Using his telescopic vision, he could still see Lois staying strong as she went about her daily routine. He rubbed his strained eyelids, sitting on the red ground. The last time he set foot on the dead planet was when he lost faith in humanity. But this time, it was because humanity had lost faith in him.

"I can see why you came _here_ …" Kent turned his head to see the image of his father standing beside him. "City folks spend so much time in those _concrete jungles_ they often _forget_ just how _small_ we really are."

"Go _away_ …" Kent muttered. "You're not _real_ … my pa's _dead_. He's _gone_."

"The people you love may be _dead_ , boy, but they'll _never_ be gone."

"Listen to your _father_ , Kent." Nora added. "We're _here_ for you. We always _have been_."

"So, why don't you tell us _why_ you're just _sitting here_ on your _bum?_ "

"They don't _want me_ , anymore…" Kent sighed. "I tried to _protect them_ , and they turned their _back_ on me. All I ever _wanted_ was to help. To make a _difference_. But without _Lois_ , _Kara_ , or _Ayesha_ , I don't… I don't know what to _do_."

"Do you know what _I_ think." Nora sat down next to him. "I think that, for _once_ , you should stop worrying about what _other people_ need. And _ask yourself_ … what do _you_ need?"

"Go _back_ to Earth. Or _stay away_. Be their _hero_ , or _don't_." Jonathan agreed. "You don't owe them a _thing_. You never _did_."

Kent looked down at his feet. His parents' words gave his aching soul a bit of comfort. Although his nickname was 'the Man of Might,' he never had to worry about looking vulnerable in front of them.

"We _miss you_ , son."

"... I miss you, _too_ , pa." Kent looked up and saw that his parents were gone.

* * *

 **The Daily Times, Metropia.**

"KENT! KENT!" W. Walter White bellowed. "Where does he _go?_ "

Lois Brant sadly packed up her things for the day and was ready to head home.

"M-Miss Brant?" Ayesha timidly tapped on her shoulder. "Where was Mr. Milton, today?"

"Oh…" Lois sighed. "I don't _know_ , Ayesha… I just _don't know_."

The reporter made her way downstairs, trying to avoid contact with anyone who came across her. Anyone would think that the proud woman was fine, but inside, she felt as if she were ready to collapse. When Kent came to tell her that he was leaving Earth, she didn't want to believe it. But when she saw the defeat in his eyes, she knew it was true. For the past few days, she had missed his comforting touch, his gentle voice, and most of all, how human he was.

But she was so distracted with her thoughts, she didn't see the two men sneaking up behind her. They managed to overpower her and drag her into their van. When Lois woke up, she was strapped to a wheelchair in a strange laboratory. Studying her surroundings, she saw a large glass tank with a humanoid floating in viscous chemicals.

"Greetings, Ms. Brant." A voice called from the other side of the room, and Lois saw a bald man in a lab coat, wielding a Radonite ring.

" _Von Havoc_." She hissed. "What are you up to, _this_ time? Aren't you _happy_ now? Hyperman is _gone!_ "

" _Perhaps_." Maxwell sneered. " _But!_ He will come back once the _first step_ of my plan is put into action." Maxwell gripped the handlebars of her wheelchair and rolled her out onto the balcony of MaxCorp. Tower. "You know, you should _thank me_. I am about to grant you the _story_ of the _century_ , Ms. Brant… _The Death of Hyperman_."

Lois screamed in terror as Maxwell pushed her off the balcony. The wind whistled in her ear as she got closer and closer to the ground. And just when she closed her eyes, she felt herself going slower. The bonds holding her to the chair stopped digging into her flesh and the weight of the chair disappeared. She opened her eyes, and saw the face of the man she loved smiling at her.

"You came _back_." She whispered, happily.

"I came _home_." He replied and set her, safely, on the ground. Once he was sure she was safe, he flew back up to the balcony and entered the lab. Von Havoc was typing the final code into his computer when he turned to see Hyperman's glowing red eyes.

"Boy, do we have trouble, _here!_ " Maxwell smiled, sinisterly. "Uh, _that is_ , the trouble with _you_. You above _all_. Because that's what gods _are,_ correct? Horus. Zeus. Yahweh. Jupiter. Odin. Ra. Allah. Kal-Ran. _Kent… Jackson… Milton."_

"I'll take you _in_ without _breaking you!_ " Hyperman stated. "Which is _more_ than you _deserve_."

"I _cannot_ let you _win_." Havoc snarled. "My father tried to give the _Flag_ a fighting chance, but _he_ was not _strong enough_. _I_ tried to do the job with the help of _others,_ but _they_ were not strong enough, _either_. So, if _man_ can't kill God… _the Devil_ will do it!"

The mad scientist slammed a lever down on the console, lighting the glass tube up with a powerful surge of electricity. The being inside started to hit the glass, trying to break free. "What have you _done?_ " Hyperman gasped.

"Ancient… _Radonian_ deformity!" Maxwell laughed, revealing his cut hand. "Blood of _my_ blood! _Magic_ and _science_ combined! An _unstoppable juggernaut_ born to bring about your _doomsday!_ Hyperman, I give you… _Armageddon._ "

The glass shattered into a million pieces, revealing a large, gray-skinned monster with spiked bones protruding from its skin. The monster roared in blind rage and swung to hit Maxwell. Hyperman blocked the punch just in time to save him, and pushed the monster outside.

Armageddon broke free from the hero's grip and landed on the street. It picked up a car with ease and threw it directly at Hyperman. Kent caught it in time, but it was enough of a distraction for Armageddon to knock him into the next building. Hyperman saw that he had crashed into an apartment complex, and the damage had put many of the residents in danger.

"Mom!" Ayesha was holding onto the ledge for dear life.

"No! Ayesha, just _hold on!_ " Her mother cried, trying to pull her up. But her arm was starting to slip.

" _Help,_ mom!"

No, God, _please!_ " The woman cried as her daughter's wrist finally slipped through her fingers. " _My baby!_ "

The girl screamed loudly as she fell to the ground. But before she could make contact, a strong gust of wind caught her in mid-air and flew her back up to her mother. "Are you _okay?_ " Hyperman brushed Ayesha's hair out of her face.

The photographer smiled at her savior, as did her mother. Hyperman went to secure everyone else in the building before going back to Armageddon. But the monster was much stronger than him, and easily countered every punch he could throw with one much more powerful. While the fight continued, Director Hill had been notified of what was happening and ordered the JLA to take a strike force to Metropia. At the same time, he contacted his predecessor, who was currently discussing the situation with the president.

"Secretary Fury, are you _seeing this?_ "

"We _all_ are, Hill." Fury replied. The battle was already displayed on the news feed around the world. President Walters debated with her staff on what to do while Hyperman kept the monster at bay.

At the same time, Hyperman's hyper-hearing warned him that Flag was currently engaged in an intense battle with Red Zoom. And in Seattle, Thunder Woman was fighting for her life against the gods. But what really worried him was that Kara was approaching the battle along with the rest of the Justice Legion. Refusing to let his cousin be harmed by Armageddon, Kent charged at it and rushed them up to the heavens.

Walters, Fury, and Hill saw what was happening and monitored Hyperman's flight pattern. "Ma'am, they appear to have cleared the city."

"Looks like he's taking it into _space_." Fury surmised.

"We can go _straight_ to _key-red_ , Madam President!" One general suggested.

"Not _yet!_ Are you _out of your mind?!_ " Fury spluttered.

"That thing is _high enough_ that we can _nuke it_ with _no casualties!_ "

" _One_ casualty, Madam President. _Hyperman_."

President Walters sighed, heavily. "God have _mercy_ on us all. _Do it_."

Fury looked disappointed as two soldiers rushed to obey. They fired the warhead into space, aiming directly at the mutated Radonian and his opponent. Hyperman saw the missile coming and tried to hold Armageddon in front of it. But when the nuke struck, the monster brushed it off and fell back to Earth. While Hyperman floated, helplessly through the vacuum.

The Justice Legion charged at the brute, using everything they had to subdue it. Mirage fired with their Ring, but Armageddon suddenly fired a devastating ray from its eyes, similar to Hyperman's heat-vision. Luckily, the humanoid shifted their density just in time. Green Machine was focusing all of his willpower into a large arc-blast, but it wasn't enough. Gargoyle, Dare, and Black Cat were onboard one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s aircrafts, firing at the monster with the built-in cannons.

At last, Captain Hyper rammed into the monster with her fists glowing brightly. Armageddon raised both of its fists into the air and brought them down, hard, onto the young hero. It grabbed her by the arm, and squeezed so hard that it shattered her elbow. Kent heard his cousin scream in agony from space, that woke him up and coaxed him to fly back to Earth.

During his travel, he used his hyper-vision to inspect the monster's molecular structure, finding that it was modified from Mar-Zod's body. That meant it was Radonian, and only Radonite weapons could harm it. Kent flew to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters at a tremendous speed, retrieving the weapon he needed, and flew back to Metropia.

When he arrived, he found Lois guiding people away from the danger. She ordered them into a bus and prepared to drive them away. But Armageddon threw Captain Hyper into another building, which toppled over and blocked the road. Lois slammed her foot on the breaks, but she knew it wouldn't stop in time. Luckily, Hyperman flew in front of the bus, and carefully lifted it over the debris. Lois stepped out of the bus and Hyperman walked up to her, brushing her cheek.

"I love you…" Kent smiled at Lois. The reporter saw that he was holding the Radonite sword in his grasp and knew what he was planning.

"No…" She begged. "No, Kent, _don't_."

"This is my world… _you_ are my world." After giving Lois one final kiss, he gripped the hilt of the sword and rushed at Armageddon. Hyperman managed to pierce the monster's flesh and flew into the sky once again.

Armageddon roared in agony as the Radonite poisoned its system. The radioactive blade began to destroy its unstable molecular structure. With the last of its strength, it extended its arm and stabbed the hero with its bony protrusion. Hyperman fought the pain and continued to climb as Armageddon absorbed the Radonite. At last, it released a powerful discharge that echoed around the world.

Armageddon's body disintegrated from the blast, but Hyperman crashed into the ground. Everyone gathered around the crater, and saw Hyperman lying, motionless, on the ground. Lois knelt down beside him, cradling his head on her lap as he struggled to breathe.

"Is… is everyone…?"

"You _did it_ , Hyperman…" Lois assured him. "We're _safe_."

"Then… that's all… that's all that _matters_ …" Hyperman smiled, softly, and he closed his eyes.

Lois sobbed as she kissed and hugged the man she loved. Ayesha buried her face in her hands, crying into her mother's shoulder. Secretary Fury, Director Hill and all of the agents under their command took off their helmets in respect. The Justice Legion comforted Kara as she wept, too. The entire city of Metropia mourned the man they once scorned.

Hyperman was dead.

* * *

 **To Be Continued…**

 **Armageddon(Juggernaut/Doomsday)**


	71. And Justice

**Chapter XXIV: … And Justice…**

 _ **Vietnam, 1973**_

 _John Foster, a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, had finally escaped from the Viet Cong's prison and hijacked one of their planes. The engine roared to life, much to his relief, and he was now high in the sky, on his way back to America. Unfortunately, his luck soon ran out. The Viet Cong quickly followed after him._

 _He tried to keep as far ahead of them as he could, but they had no compunction about shooting down their own planes. Before he knew it, his tail had been blown off and he was falling towards the ocean. In his last moment, he remembered the last letter Stacy sent him before he had been declared a prisoner of war. Now, he'd never get to meet his nephew._

 _But instead of crashing into the ocean, his plane appeared to pass through a tunnel of lights that led to a city floating in the sky. His plane crashed down next to a lake and started to climb out of the cockpit. Unfortunately, the Viet Cong had followed him through the tunnel and were preparing to land. He ran into the forest next to the shining city, hoping that he could hide from them._

 _He found a hollow tree and crouched down to get in. He closed his eyes and held his breath, waiting for the Viet Cong to pass him. But just as he heard them getting close to him, he heard something else. It sounded like a group of women jumping through the treetops, attacking his captors. Foster had spent nine months trapped in a bamboo cage, listening to the sadistic soldiers laugh at his expense. He almost didn't recognize their voices with all the fear in it._

 _John slowly and cautiously peeked out from his hiding spot. The American soldier was horrified at the sight of all those men being gutted by the warrior women. He turned around to start running again, only to find a tall, slender, dark-haired angel aiming an arrow straight at his face._

" _What is your_ name? _" She asked, sternly._

 _Instinctively, John raised his hands over his head. "J-J-John… John_ Foster _."_

" _Are you_ aligned _with these men, John Foster?"_

" _N-no… I was a… a_ prisoner of war _… I'm a pilot in the U.S. Air Force…"_

" _You are a_ warrior? _" Her eyebrow arched, and John nodded. "Are you a_ skilled _one?"_

" _... No…" He dropped his hands, shaking his head in shame. "Not_ particularly _."_

" _Is that all?"_

" _P-please… please, don't_ kill me _…" He begged. "I-I_ need _to go home. My_ sister _. I-I'm a_ brother _. I've got a_ little sister! _"_

" _Is she_ grown? _" Her voice and face softened a bit, as did her grip on the arrow._

" _Yes…" He closed his eyes, letting the tears run down his cheeks. "Yes, she's… she's_ all grown up _… she doesn't_ need me _anymore…"_

 _If John had kept his eyes open, he would have seen that the woman was no longer aiming at him. He would have seen the sympathetic look in her eyes. "Were you a_ good _brother, John Foster?"_

 _John's lips trembled as the question echoed in his mind. He recalled every ballet Stacy starred in, every night he let her sleep with him because she had a nightmare, and every letter she had sent him after he went off to war. "Yeah…" He choked out. "_ Yes. _I've been a_ good big brother _… I'm a_ lousy pilot _… I'm a_ worse _soldier… and I've been a_ weak man _… but_ that _, I_ didn't _screw up...!_ That, _I got_ right… _"_

 _As John hugged his knees close to his chest, he heard the bow and arrow fall to the ground. Diana sat down beside him, hugging him tight as she stroked his hair. She promised him that she would get him home to his sister._

* * *

 _ **Asgard. One Week Ago.**_

 _Diana and Donna arrived at the palace after the Ultriac incident. The princess kneeled before her father and told him about her vision. She warned them of the idea that Olympus might attack. Lord Odin and Hippolyta debated on her claim, finding it hard to believe that Zeus would violate their oldest law._

 _Diana wanted to interrupt, but suddenly, Asgard's alarm signaled an unannounced approacher. The king stepped down from his throne to inspect the disturbance. Hippolyta and Diana followed, shortly afterwards. What they saw shocked the entire kingdom; Olympus was floating towards the city's gates. The Asgardian army was greeted with Olympus' King, holding the head of Jupiter like a proud trophy._

" _Asgard…" He bellowed. "For too long, have we let the mortals_ desecrate _our memory. It is_ time _that we lay_ waste _to the mortal plane, and reminded them that_ we are gods! _Will you stand beside us, or suffer the same fate as_ Jupiter _and his followers?"_

" _King Zeus." Odin spoke. "You have_ violated _our oldest and_ noblest _law. You have_ killed _our brother, and now stand here,_ demanding _that we join you on this_ foolish quest? _I say thee, nay!"_

" _So be it…" Zeus gathered up his strength and blasted Odin with a powerful thunderbolt._

 _Donna was the first to retaliate, throwing her axe at the Olympian god. Much to her terror, Ares caught it in his palm before it could strike anyone. The god of war tightened his grip, and the enchanted axe was shattered to pieces. Zeus looked at the young warrior with disgust._

" _Thou art_ not _an Eternal… thou art merely a_ mortal _that the princess took_ pity on _._ Away _with you_." _With just a wave of his hand, Zeus opened a portal through space and sent Delta-Ray Donna away._

 _Diana was furious. She lashed out, blindly, knocking Zeus backwards. But the King of Olympus ordered his sons, Ares and Apollo, to hold her down. Thunder Woman summoned her lightning and prepared to attack, but Athena swiftly snatched it out of her hand._

" _Well,_ hello _, sister!" Diana turned to see Circi standing beside Zeus, with John Foster held captive._

" _Let him go!" Diana ordered. But before she could attack, Ares bound her in chains and his brothers began to beat her. The other Amazons charged at them, but Hera stood in their way. With a simple wave of her hand, the Queen of Olympus killed Hippolyta and wiped out half of the Amazons._

" _No!" Diana cried._

" _Olympians!" Zeus ordered. "Asgard does not stand with us! Thus, they stand_ against _us! They_ too _shall perish!"_

 _War broke out. Ares and Athena took Thunder Woman away while the others attacked Asgard. The two shining cities of Olympus and Asgard merged into one and began to descend to Earth. Circi followed Ares and Athena into the prison where they shackled Diana to the wall._

" _At last… I shall have my revenge, Thunder Woman!" She cackled. "You will_ pay _for what you did to me!"_

 _The two Olympians spent the next few days mercilessly torturing Diana while Circi watched. John had been taken away to another cell as the war raged on. The cities finally crashed down onto Earth, and John's cell cracked open. His first instinct was to escape and call S.H.I.E.L.D. for help._

 _Lucky for him, the Olympians were too preoccupied to notice him._

* * *

 **Seattle, Washington. Present Day.**

Stacy lived far outside the city, that gave John some slight relief, but the battle wouldn't stay isolated for long. He had lost his gun during his abduction, but luckily, he still had his communicator.

"This is Major John Foster, calling _all S.H.I.E.L.D._ agents, do you read?" He let his finger off the button and listen for a reply. When all he heard was static, he tried a different frequency. "This is Major John Foster, calling from Seattle, Washington! Hostiles have _invaded!_ Do you read?! Over!"

"OH, MY GOD! NOOOOOOOOO-!" The scream was followed by an inhuman roar, causing John to drop the communicator.

He spotted a sword and shield and made his way to Asgard's warriors. The Olympians had them on the run, backing them into the temporary safety of Asgard's ruins. The Amazons and their brothers threw down their weapons, ready to surrender, much to John's disappointment. He climbed onto a steeple, where he could see all of them and they could see him.

"Listen to me!" He shouted. " _Stand your ground! Don't give up!_ "

"Who are _you_ to tell us what to do?!" Sif snapped.

"I am _nobody_ to tell you what to do!" John replied, honestly. "I am _John Foster!_ A _warrior!_ Like _all of you!_ I _know_ you're _tired_ , and I _know_ you're _afraid!_ But if we _give up now_ , we will only offer our _souls_ and the souls of our _loved ones_ to Olympus' mercy!"

The Asgardians took heed of the mortal's tone. They grabbed their weapons again, looking back at John. "Stand your ground! _Stand_ your ground! These _Olympians_ claim that they are _invincible!_ But just because they _insult our heritage_ , and _shield_ _their faces_ , doesn't mean that they are _braver_ , or _stronger_ than we are!"

The Asgardians cheered at his words, their vigor and courage growing. "They are _cowards!_ They _hide_ behind their _words!_ But _we_ have the courage to _face them_ , without _masks_ or _words!_ " The cheers grew louder. "Fight for your _honor!_ Fight for your _freedom!_ Fight for the one _beside you!_ Fight… for _Asgard!_ "

With one last cheer, John Foster dropped down from his perch and marched with the Asgardians into battle.

* * *

Meanwhile, Circi watched in bewilderment as Asgard's forces rallied themselves.

"Didn't go quite like you _planned it_. Eh, Circi?" Diana laughed.

"I don't _understand!_ " Circi shuddered. "I had it all planned so _carefully!_ Manipulating _Zeus,_ kidnapping _Foster,_ attacking _Jupiter!_ This is _your fault!_ "

"Yes, _that's it_ …" Diana scowled. "Blame _me_ for the crimes _you_ commited."

"DO NOT TAKE THAT TONE WITH ME, DIANA!" Circi shrieked. " _You_ were the one who wanted to be the Thunder Woman! _You_ wanted to return with the mortal! _You_ wanted the _fame_ , and _excitement_ , and _glory_ that came with it all! And _I_ just wanted a _sister!_ "

Diana blinked in shock at Circi's outburst. The goddess of magic breathed heavily as tears stained her cheeks. "You _left me_ … _alone_ , in Asgard… everyone _knew_ I was a _frost giant_. They _hated me!_ _You_ and _Balder_ were the only ones who _loved_ me! But _you_ wanted to be _Thunder Woman_ , leaving _Balder_ to be Odin's _heir_. That left me with _nothing_ …"

Diana, herself, started to cry. "And now, Balder is _gone! GONE!_ He is not _awaiting us_ in Valhalla, as Hippolyta would like for us to _believe!_ I know the _truth!_ When your beloved mortals die, at least they have the _comfort_ to think that they are going to a _better place!_ But when a _god dies_ … it isn't just _death_. It is _oblivion_."

"Circi…" Diana whispered. "My _sister_...You are _right_...I'm _sorry_ … I'm _so sorry_ … for _abandoning you_ in Asgard… can you _forgive me…?_ "

"...why does it _matter?_ " Circi trembled.

"Because _I_ … forgive _you_ … for _everything_ …"

Circi's gaze softened at those words. She looked at her adoptive sister with a sorrowful expression on her face. Her mind strained as she tried to think of what to do. But before she could decide, Athena snuck up behind her and struck her with Mjolnir.

"Circi!" Diana cried.

"Traitor!" Athena accused. "You _dare_ go against my father's orders!" Circi backed away, but Athena wouldn't let up. "Then you will _pay!_ " She lifted the hammer over her head, and brought it down, quickly.

" _No!_ " Diana's eyes began to glow as bright as Mjolnir's lightning. Athena struggled to move the hammer, but it just remained frozen in mid-air. "I _won't_ let you kill her!" Athena's arm bent out of shape as the hammer began to fall to the ground. At last, Mjolnir broke free from her grasp and wouldn't lift up.

" _Rise_ , cursed hammer!" The goddess of knowledge bellowed, until she gave up. "If _I_ can't have it, _no one can!_ " She blasted the weapon with a teleportation spell, not focusing on where she was sending it.

In her fury, she was so distracted that she couldn't see Circi sneaking up behind her with her spear. Athena choked as her flesh began to morph into marble stone. When the white rock finally overcame her, she crumbled into dust. Circi dropped the spear and undid the chains around Diana's wrists. She gingerly laid her down on the ground, holding her hand, firmly.

"Diana…" She whispered, softly. "My sister… _yes_ , I _forgive you_." Focusing her magic, Circi healed Thunder Woman's wounds. Diana sucked in a strong breath as her strength returned. "You look _ten thousand years younger_ , Diana." Circi chuckled.

"And _feel it_." Diana sat up once she noticed Circi leaning towards her. "Circi!" She caught her just in time.

"Death was _circling_ around you…" Circi rubbed her head from exhaustion. "That is the _last time_ I will be strong enough to chase it _away_."

"You have done _well_ , sister." Diana complimented. "Now, let us join our people in _battle._ "

"But _Mjolnir_ is lost." Circi reasoned. "And we have no _weapons_."

"We're _gods_ …" Diana smiled, slyly. "We had _power_ before we had _weapons_."

"Back when we were _young gods._ " Circi mimicked her grin.

"Let's have some _fun!_ "

The two Amazons confidently strutted out of the chambers and teleported down to Earth. Once they were there, they began to use their strength to crush Olympus' forces with ease. Circi found Aphrodite and attacked her, head-on. Diana focused her efforts on Ares and Apollo. The god of light was helplessly pushed back as Diana blocked his sword with her bare wrists. Ares tried to wrap his chains around her limbs again, but Diana was too fast this time.

Thunder Woman knocked both of her foes aside and saw John fighting against Eros, the god of lust. She tried to rush to his aide, but Ares caught her again, holding her back. The only man she ever loved was on his own.

John felt exhausted. Eros was much younger and stronger than he was. The god managed to stab him in the stomach, and had now kicked him a few feet away. The cruel god chuckled as John struggled to his feet, holding a strange tube on his shoulder. He didn't know what it was, but it wouldn't matter.

"Oh, just _give up_ , already…" He goaded. "It's _over_."

"No." John replied, sternly.

"Aren't you _afraid?_ " Eros' grin spread from ear-to-ear.

"I'm _terrified…_ " John answered. "But my father once told me... that we must always _face_ what we are afraid of. It's the only way to _protect_ the ones we _love_."

"It this _really_ what a mortal would _go through_ to impress an Asgardian _whore?_ "

"No… _this_ is what a _man_ would go through… to protect his baby sister…"

"Then I know which mortal I'm killing _next_." Eros lifted his sword, and John fired the bazooka at him. The demigod groaned in pain as he shifted out of the wall.

" _Fuck you_ , _Cupid_ …" John chuckled, and slumped down to the ground.

" _John!_ " Diana broke free and rushed to his side. "Don't worry, I'm _here!_ I can save you! I can-!"

"Diana… I have been to _war_." John gasped. "I may not be a _doctor_ , but I know a _dead man_ when I _see one_."

"No… no, no, no, no, _no!_ " Diana cried, trying to put pressure on the wound. "I can _help you!_ "

"Diana… I'm _sorry_ I was a _jerk_ …"

"No, John…" She wept. "That's not _true!_ "

"Just… _promise me_ … Stacy will be _safe_."

Diana nodded, silently promising him.

"I want you to know… crashing on Asgard was the _best thing_ that ever _happened_ to me… I… I lo… I _lo…_ " John tried to finish, but he had lost too much blood, his eyelids grew too heavy, and he finally succumbed to his injuries.

"John…?" Diana whimpered. "John…?" Tears stung her eyes as a righteous fury filled her soul. Eros had recovered from the bazooka and was charging at her with pure hatred. Diana clenched her fist and with a single punch, sent the god of lust flying through the chambers and into the wall. Ares gasped as his son crumbled to dust.

Everyone's attention turned away from the crater to look at Asgard's princess. Thunder Woman stepped out from the chamber, radiating with immense power. Her flesh began to peel away, replaced by a new layer of skin that glowed with the same blue lightning that Mjolnir wielded. Her eyes lost their color, replaced with an empty blackness. Her hair had burned away, as did her clothes. Both Olympians and Asgardians looked in fear as every step she took left a small crater in the ground.

 **"** _ **None of you**_ **will leave here** _ **alive**_ **."** She growled.

Ares swung his chain at Diana only for her to dodge it, grab it, and pull the god of war towards her. She rammed her shoulder into his chest, shattering him to pieces. Next, she smashed Apollo and Artemis' heads together, killing them as well. Then, she focused all of her power on Zeus.

The other gods weren't faring so well. Circi was running out of breath as Hercules and Achilles began to overpower her. They dug their swords deep into her stomach, making her cry out in agony. Hera approached with her own sword, an evil gleam shone in her eye. Circi looked up to the heavens, trembling at the beautiful sight of twinkling stars.

"Balder…" She whispered. " _Forgive me._ "

Then, just as Hera's sword grazed her head, Circi's body exploded into a shower of bright lights that killed the other gods. Everyone stopped and looked on at a stream of light passing into the sky.

"What _trickery_ is _this?_ " Aphrodite spluttered.

"That was no _trickery!_ " Nubia smiled. "That was _Circi!_ She has _ascended_ into _Valhalla!_ "

The Asgardians cheered, realizing the same fate awaited them. The Olympians were caught off-guard by the renewed vigor the Asgardians displayed. The Norse warriors bravely pressed on, slaughtering the Greeks. For every marble rock that shattered, a beam of light shot upward.

Soon, it was all down to just Diana and Zeus. In a desperate act, the elder god reached for his thunderbolt and struck his enemy right in the chest. But Diana ignored her wound, removed the thunderbolt, continued to beat Zeus into submission, and aimed the bolt over his chest.

"NO!" He begged. "Stop! _Listen_ to me! We are _Eternals!_ The mortals are _less_ that us! They do not _deserve_ your compassion!"

 **"Yes, they** _ **do**_ **…"** Diana smiled. **"You've just been too** _ **stubborn**_ **to see it."**

"NOOOOO!" The thunderbolt pierced Zeus' heart, causing a chain reaction that destroyed both Olympus and Asgard.

It was finally over; Zeus was dead. With the last of her power spent, Diana's body went limp. Gathering up the rest of her own strength, she crawled over the ruins until she found John's body. Diana stretched out, desperately, trying to reach his hand.

When she finally grabbed it, her eyes shut, and two more souls ascended into Valhalla.

* * *

 **To Be Continued…**


	72. For All

**Chapter XXIV: … For All**

 _ **Oahu Island, 1945**_

 _Steve Allen groggily rose to his feet, shaking off the pain as he gazed at the alien tyrant. The Anti-Watcher had activated a devastating device onboard his ship that was destroying all life on the planet. Hyperman and Aqua were nowhere in sight, and couldn't help him stop the alien. The last time Steve felt this helpless was the night his mother died._

 _But this time it would be different._

 _Using his connection to the Speed Force, Steve's mind quickly calculated how to stop the Anti-Watcher's spaceship and save Earth. At last, it came to a conclusion. If he could circle around the hull of the ship at the speed of light, the ship would collapse onto itself and implode. Unfortunately, he had never gone that fast before, and he had no idea what would happen to him if he did._

 _He was afraid, but now was not the time for fear. Building up courage, the Flag felt the lightning surge through his body once again as he darted towards the giant spacecraft. As he circled the ship, he felt his muscles being torn apart. The lightning was eating away his body the faster he went. At last, he reached the speed of light, and the ship was collapsing on itself. But he was dying._

 _Knowing what was about to happen, he allowed his speed to increase to the point where he could run so fast that he could be in two places at once. As he kept circling the ship, he was also running home to Brooklyn, New York._

 _Joseph Allen sat, solemnly in his prison cell. He had been accused of murdering his wife, Nora, and as a consequence, had spent the last twenty years in prison. Not only had he lost his wife, but he lost any chance of watching his son grow up._

 _Suddenly, a flash of red, white, and blue lightning lit up his cell. Joseph gasped as a man dressed in a strange costume stepped out of the light. He took off his mask, revealing his face._

" _Steven…?" He gasped. "Is that_ really _you?"_

" _Dad… I'm_ so sorry _…" Steve smiled, sadly. "I'm_ dying _…"_

" _I-I don't_ understand. _"_

" _I_ found _the man that killed mom… but he got away… but I want you to know, I_ never _thought you were the one who killed her… I missed you,_ so much _... And, before I die, I just wanted to say that I… I_ lo- _"_

 _The image disappeared, leaving Joseph to tearfully wave his arms through the air, as if he were trying to bring his son back. "Steven…?" He whimpered. "... Steven?"_

* * *

 **Present Day.**

After taking Jaime home, Tony got aboard his private jet and headed towards the Raft. Once the two speedsters had escaped, Emerald Man had his suit's new A.I. track the serial number of the jet and prepare to trace them down. He knew that the Superhuman Registration Act would cause problems, but he didn't want his friends to become criminals. Suddenly, he lost his train of thought when Friday chirped an alert. He aimed his ring out to the cabin of the jet, displaying an image of a dead man in a bloody bathtub.

"What am I looking at?"

 _[" Mr. Caleb Jones."]_ Friday chirped. _["According to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files, he was the one meant to act as Wallace Barnes' attorney for the trial. Authorities found him, dead, in his hotel room, along with a mask made to resemble Wallace Barnes."]_

"Son of a _bitch_ …" Tony hissed. "He was telling the _truth_. Get this to _Hill_. Have him send the JLA to my location."

 _["Unfortunately, Director Hill and the Justice Legion of Avengers are currently preoccupied with an extraterrestrial attacking Metropia."]_

"Dammit!" Tony cursed. "Do you have Steve's coordinates, yet?"

 _["Yes, sir."]_

" _Fuck it_. I'm going _alone_." He tapped his ring against the armrest on his seat, and the rest of his armor began to surround him. A passageway opened up at the bottom of the jet and he flew towards the beacon.

Little did he know that the Bronze Panther was following him.

 **Lebanon, Kansas.**

The device crafted from the ship's computer was tracing Red Zoom's vibrational frequency to the heart of America. The two super-speeding soldiers were conserving their energy for the big confrontation.

Wally looked over at his mentor. The man who had saved his life so many times was once again risking his own life for him. A swell of guilt manifested inside the redhead's chest.

"Steve… I'm _sorry_ this is _happening_." Wally said, at last.

"We've been _over this_ , Wally." Steve placed a hand on his shoulder. " _None_ of this is your fault.

"I… I just… I was _stupid_ to jump on that _rocket_ without a _plan_. If I _hadn't_ , neither of us would be _in_ this mess. I don't want you to think that I'm still that _same, stupid kid_ who stowed away on a _military barge_ and let himself get _shot_."

"Is _that_ how you remember it?" Steve crossed his arms. "Let me tell you what _I_ remember… I remember a _brave kid_ loaded with _all_ the potential in the _world_. And _now_ , I find myself looking into the eyes of a _grown man_ on the verge of _realizing_ that potential. A man I'm _damn proud_ of."

Wally smiled at the sentiment, much to Steve's relief. It was nice to see his son smile. As the airship got closer to their destination, another thought popped into his mind. "Hey, you remember that _girl?_ The one from _France?_ "

"You mean the girl I met at the _carnival_ during Christmas of '43?" Wally chuckled. "What was her name, again?"

"Deserie. You called her _Dee Dee_.You wasted _three dollars_ trying to win her that _stuffed teddy bear_." Steve nodded. "If we make it _through this_ , you ought to _look her up_."

Wally laughed. " _Steve_ , she's gotta be, like, _ninety years old_ by now."

"So are _you_ , pal." Steve teased.

When the airship touched down, Wally opened up a weapons cabinet and grabbed an AK-47. Flag took the lead as they made their way out of the airship and into the building. Normally, they would use their super-speed to search the building in a few seconds, but they couldn't take any chances with Red Zoom.

As they made it to the third floor, a loud bang came from the elevator shaft. Flag stood in front of Wally with his shield held up. The banging got louder as they went to inspect it. A bright green light shone through the doors and Emerald Man pried them open.

Wally aimed his rifle at the armored Avenger, but Flag signaled for him to hold his fire. Tony retracted his helmet, showing his tired eyes. "You seem a little _defensive_." He said, gently.

"It's been a _trying week_." Flag responded.

"Yeah, well, you can _relax_. I'm not currently _after you_. I'm here to _help_." The speedsters looked skeptical. "Okay, _look_ …" Tony removed his ring, the source of control for his suit, and tossed it towards Flag's feet. Then he explained. "New evidence has come to _light_. Maybe your story isn't that _crazy_."

Flag carefully reached down to pick up the ring. "What does _Hill_ think of that?"

"Uh… _actually_ , Hill doesn't know I'm _here_." Tony rubbed the back of his neck and leaned against the wall. "I'd like to _keep it_ that way. Otherwise, I have to _arrest_ myself."

Steve looked down at the ring in his fingers, then back at Tony. The Registration problem had effectively torn their friendship apart, but in that moment, he could see in his eyes that Tony believed him. "Well, that _certainly sounds_ like a lot of _paperwork_."

Tony smirked at the joke. Steve handed the ring back to his friend and patted him on the shoulder. "It's _good_ to see you, Tony."

"You _too_."

As the trio pressed on, they were unaware that Bronze Panther was following close behind. Emerald Man used his ring to scan for vital-signs in the building, and found someone at the top floor of the building. There, waiting for them, was Red Zoom.

 **"It's about** _ **time**_ **…"** The Nazi speedster chuckled. **"I was beginning to think you didn't get my** _ **invitation**_ **."**

"You killed _innocent people_ in Washington just to bring us _here?_ " Flag snapped.

 **"Those people meant** _ **nothing**_ **to me. No one there held any** _ **importance**_ **in the future…"**

"Why?" Flag asked.

 **"Why** _ **what?**_ **"**

"Why have you _done this?_ Why did you _kill_ my mother? Why did you _hurt_ Wally? Why did you _wait_ seventy years to _bring me back_ from the Speed Force? Why did you kill the King of Wakanda and all the _others?_ Why… why do you _hate me?_ "

Red Zoom paced around the room. **"I didn't** _ **always**_ **."** He began. **"At** _ **one time**_ **I** _ **idolized**_ **you. I was** _ **obsessed**_ **with your power. And I wanted it for** _ **myself**_ **. I dedicated my** _ **life**_ **to learning the secrets of the Speed Force. Until one day, I** _ **succeeded**_ **. But the people turned** _ **against me**_ **. They** _ **learned**_ **of your exploits and it** _ **inspired**_ **them to rise** _ **against me**_ **…** _ **ironic,**_ **don't you think?"**

Flag glared as his enemy went on. **"And so, I decided to** _ **kill you**_ **and prevent you from** _ **ever**_ **inspiring anyone** _ **else**_ **. But** _ **time**_ **wouldn't let me… So, if I could not** _ **kill you**_ **. I would make your life** _ **miserable**_ **, every step of the way."**

"Are you _kidding me?_ " Tony snorted. "You mean, you have spent the last _seventy years_ trying to kill Flag because you couldn't _be_ him?"

 **"** _ **Astute**_ **as** _ **always**_ **, Mr. Jordan."** Zoom taunted. **"Pity your** _ **keen intellect**_ **couldn't discover my** _ **true nature**_ **when I first came to S.H.I.E.L.D.** _ **That's**_ **how it was so** _ **easy**_ **to turn you all** _ **against**_ **each other. And it's** _ **also**_ **how I was able to upload the** _ **virus**_ **."**

"Virus?" Tony sounded perplexed. " _What_ viru-AAAAAAAH!" The arc-reactor in his chest began to surge with a damaging yellow energy. Tony collapsed to the ground, making Steve check on him. Wally rushed towards Zoom, ready to kill.

 **("Hammersicklecommunismfallenfreightcarczechoslovakiahomecomingwinterspeedster.")** Red Zoom whispered into his ear at super-speed, making the young redhead freeze once again.

("Awaiting commands.") He said. Zoom cackled and whispered again.

 **("Stand there and** _ **watch**_ **as I** _ **kill**_ **the Flag.")** The time-traveler tackled his enemy with pure hatred. The two speedsters raced out of the building, running around the world as they fought.

Meanwhile, Panther left his hiding place and rushed to Tony's aid. Using the claws in his gloves, Wakanda's King tore off Emerald Man's helmet. "P-Panther? What are _you_ doing here?"

"I was _following you_ to find the Winter Speedster." He explained. "I heard _everything_. But that can _wait_. What do I need to do to _help you?_ "

"T-take it out… take it _out!_ "

"Take _what_ out?"

"My… my _heart!_ "

T'Challa removed the chest-plate of Tony's armor, and then pulled the arc-reactor out of his chest. While Tony instructed T'Challa on what to do, Flag and Zoom continued their chase. As they ran, they each threw powerful punches that would have shattered concrete. They skidded over the oceans and landscapes at such a speed, that everything around them became a blur.

At last, Flag tripped his opponent and they stopped somewhere in Syria. Flag wrapped his arm around Zoom's neck, refusing to let go. "Your whole _life_ has been dedicated to hurting _others_." Flag sneered. "It's time to put an _end_ to you… for _good_." With a swift motion, Flag snapped his foe's neck. He sighed in relief, thinking that it was finally over.

But just as he started to head back to America, a bolt of black lightning struck him from behind. He looked back and shuddered. Red Zoom snapped his neck back into place and glared at him.

 **"Oh… did I forget to** _ **tell you?**_ **"** He hit Steve with a bone-shattering blow that sent him flying. In the blink of an eye, he was already waiting for him on the other side of his trajectory. **"During that time you were** _ **gone**_ **, I met a man who taught me something** _ **special**_ **about the Speed Force."** He continued to knock Steve around the desert as he went on. **"He showed me that there exists a** _ **polar opposite-**_ **a** _ **Negative**_ **side-if you will. But what is so** _ **special**_ **about this** _ **Negative Speed Force**_ **is that it can grant its wielder to exist** _ **outside**_ **the timeline!"**

Zoom grabbed Flag by the neck and rushed them back to America, dragging him against the ground as they went. **"That means, no matter** _ **what**_ **I do to you, I** _ **cannot**_ **be** _ **erased!**_ **I can** _ **kill you**_ **before you take Erskine's** _ **serum**_ **, or I can** _ **kill you**_ **in your mother's** _ **womb**_ **, or I can kill you** _ **right now!**_ **BUT YOU CANNOT KILL ME!"**

Zoom dropped the Flag and rushed back into the building, just as Panther finally got Tony back on his feet. **"Greetings** _ **, your highness**_ **."** He hissed.

"I almost killed the _wrong man_ because of you." T'Challa snarled. "I am _Benjamin T'Challa_. The _Bronze Panther_. You killed my _father_ , prepare to _die_." Panther extended his claws and lunged at Red Zoom. But Zoom was too fast and agile for the Avenger to even scratch him. The dark speedster grabbed the King by the wrist and threw him onto Tony, then, he walked over to Wally.

 **" _You_ are the one he cares for the **_**most…**_ **"** He vibrated his hand in front of Wally's chest. **"How** _ **unfortunate**_ **for you."**

"NO!" Flag had finally caught up and tackled Zoom before he could kill Wally. "You _bastard!_ " He yelled as he hit him. "You will _not! Touch! My! Son!_ " But Zoom didn't seem to mind the attack. In fact, he appeared to be laughing. Steve stopped hitting him to look down. Red Zoom's gauntlet had vibrated through his chest and stopped when he had attacked him.

 **"At** _ **last**_ **…"** Zoom cackled. He grabbed the Flag by the neck and carried him to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. The agents gasped at the sight of Flag's fatal wound. **"** _ **Look**_ **at your** _ **hero**_ **… this** _ **man**_ **is** _ **not**_ **a** _ **god!**_ **"**

The agents tried to shoot him, but he disappeared before he had the chance. His next stop was the Raft, displaying his mutilated body like a trophy in front of Flag's comrades. Bart and Sam couldn't believe what they were looking at. Oliver and Tod looked shocked. And Sharon cupped her hands over her mouth, crying as she saw her husband in the hands of his worst enemy.

 **"He has** _ **fallen**_ **by** _ **my**_ **hands!** _ **That**_ **is how history shall** _ **remember him!**_ **"** Zoom peeled off Flag''s mask and left it in the prison. He ran, once again, back to Tony, Panther, and Wally.

 **"History will** _ **remember**_ **that not even** _ **time**_ **could stop me! I have** _ **killed**_ **the** _ **greatest**_ **among you. He was** _ **weak!**_ **And now,** _ **no one**_ **can** _ **stop me!**_ **HA HA HA HA HA HA!"**

Tony aimed his glove at the psychopath, but fired too late. Red Zoom dropped the Flag to the floor and disappeared. Once he was gone, Wally was free from his trance.

The young speedster's eyes watered at the sight of his oldest friend's body. The wound in his chest was too severe even for the Speed Force to repair. "Steve…?" He held Flag's body in his arms, trying to keep him awake. "Steve…?" Flag reached out to stroke Wally's cheek, smiling as he did so. "... _dad?_ "

Tony and T'Challa stepped forward to see the poor, tormented man mourn as Flag slowly began to close his eyes. "No… _no,_ dad, don't _do this!_ " Wally screamed. "Don't! No! _NO!_ _NOOOO!"_

Wally rested his head on his father's chest, begging him to come back.

* * *

 **To Be Continued…**

 **Author's note: Anyone else notice I killed off these three in the reverse-order I introduced them?**


	73. The Five Stages

**Chapter XXV: The Five Stages**

 **DENIAL**

 **Metropia, NY.**

W. Walter White walked through the printing room of the Daily Times. Grabbing a fresh print off of one of the large machines, he solemnly made his way up to his office. Most of his employees hadn't come to work that morning, but he couldn't blame them. It was only habit that brought himself to come. He unlocked the door to his office and read the headline: _"Three People Die, Millions Mourn."_

He flipped over to the obituary section, rubbing his head as he saw Kent Milton's name at the top of the article. He honestly didn't want to believe that one of his best reporters - one of his best _friends_ \- was gone. Instinctively, he opened the drawer for a cigar, but when he opened his mouth for it, he hesitated. Sighing heavily, he took the rest of his cigars out of the drawer and threw them in the wastebin.

Meanwhile, in Antarctica, Kara Zor-Ran was sitting on a huge glacier just outside the Citadel of Isolation. She placed her favorite speakerphones over her ears and pressed 'play' on her MP3. Tears ran down her face as she hugged her cousin's cape and sang to the lyrics.

" _Hello_ … it's _me_ … I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to _meet…_ to go over… _everything_ … they say that _times_ supposed to _heal you_ , but I ain't done much healing…" She choked on her own words while the song continued. The words hurt more than any amount of Radonite. " _Hello_ from the _other side!_ I must've called a _thousand times!_ To tell you I'm _sorry_ for everything that I've done! But when I call you _never_ seem to be _home!_ "

She took off the headphones and threw them far into orbit. Suddenly, a familiar beeping noise sounded in her ears. Rushing to Metropia at her top speed, she was just in time to see someone jump off of the Daily Times building. She made a sharp dive and caught Ayesha just in time.

At first, the photographer looked relieved that her plan had worked, but when she saw that it was the wrong person, her lips trembled. Kara saw that her eyes were red and puffy, her signal watch was still going, and she was wearing the same clothes from the night of the incident.

"He's _really gone_ , isn't he…?" The poor girl sobbed as she buried her face into Kara's shoulder.

Wally ran as fast as he could. Soon, he would reach the velocity needed to break through the time barrier. He had donned his dreaded Winter Speedster mask to protect his skin from the searing friction straining his body, and was almost there. But the Speed Force was fighting against him, so he needed to make this quick.

At last, he broke through and saw Flag. All he had to do was warn him about the Red Zoom and the timeline would change so that the Flag was alive again.

"Steeeeeeeeve!" He called. The Speed Force's pull was growing stronger, he had to step forward to support himself. "Steve! Listen to me! You were _right_ about him! He's the one who ruined everything! You have to _stop_ him! You have to _stop_ him!"

Steve didn't respond, he just gazed at Wally, confused. "What's _wrong?!_ Don't you _recognize_ me?! Wait… am I-? Oh, _God!_ I'm _too early!_ " The Flag's former protege was being dragged back to his own time. "Wait, _no!_ Steve, _please!_ _Find me!_ You have to _find me!_ You're the _only one_ who can _save me!_ Please, it's _me_ , Wally!"

But his plea was cut off as the portal closed. Wally punched a hole through the concrete wall next to him in frustration. _"Okay_ … _"_ He thought to himself. _"I can_ do this! _I just need_ more time! _"_ He tried running at the same speed as before, but he was too exhausted to do it again so soon.

Acting on impulse, he rushed back to New York City to the WWII museum. Vibrating his way through the walls, he came upon his old Kid-Flag uniform. When he first wore the colorful costume, he felt so proud. But now, it only reminded him of his greatest failure.

Red Zoom killed the greatest man he'd ever known, and he just stood there and watched.

" _There_ you are."

Wally snarled. Spinning on his heels, he saw Emerald Man and his allies standing behind him. The people who had made Steve a criminal. _"You!"_

* * *

 **ANGER**

 _Two hours ago, Tony and T'Challa went back to New York City after Wally disappeared. The new King decided it was best for him to return to his country for now, to help them heal from the loss of his father. Tony, on the other hand, returned to JLA headquarters. He sat down at his desk and poured himself a glass of liquor. He looked down at his helmet, thinking of the three friends he had just lost._

 _He threw the helmet at the wall, disgusted at the person he had become. He then proceeded to use his ring to bore a hole in his desk, screaming furiously as he did so._ "Goddammit!" _He yelled. "It wasn't_ worth it! _It_ just _wasn't_ worth it! _"_

 _When he finally calmed down, he found an envelope taped to his door. Checking to make sure he was alone, he opened it and found a letter from Steve._

"Tony, if you're reading this, it means something bad has happened to me, and you're taking it out on yourself. But I want you to know that I was never angry with you for what you did. I wish we could have agreed on the Registration Act, I really do, but you shouldn't make our friends suffer for what I asked them to do. I have faith that you'll be able to help them. And I'm begging you to take care of Wally. Make sure he doesn't do anything rash. He's a good man, he just needs a little help. Your friend, Steve."

 _After reading that, Tony knew what he had to do. He went back to the Raft to speak with Steve's rogue Legion. He had seen from the security footage that Zoom had taken his friend's dead body and showed it to them like a trophy. When he arrived, the other prisoners all laughing and cheering, having witnessed the deaths of three major superheroes on live television. It made the Avenger sick to his stomach._

" _You've got_ some nerve _showing your face here!" Sharon slammed her fist against the glass on her cell. "This is all_ your fault _, Jordan! You_ killed him _, damn you! You_ killed him! _"_

" _Sharon, I'm_ sorry _, I wish-"_

"Shut up! _Just_ shut up! _" Sharon sobbed and laid back down on her bunk._

" _Leave her_ alone _, Jordan." Sam ordered._

" _Sam, how_ are _you guys?" Tony spoke, gently. "Are they_ treating you _okay?"_

" _Why don't you just cut the bullshit and tell me what you_ want? _"_

" _Alright… fair enough." Tony took out the letter Steve had left for him, letting Sam read it carefully. "Now, I have a_ feeling _Wally's been here to check on you guys. And maybe he told you where he was going. I swear, I_ know _I made a mistake. You can_ hate me _as much as you want, but I'm trying to_ help _."_

 _Sam thought for a moment. "Okay…_ but _, you have to promise to go to_ help _."_

"Wally, we need to _talk_." Emerald Man retracted his mask. "I understand that you're _mad_ , but-"

Wally interrupted him with a super-swift punch in the jaw. Gargoyle and Dare got into a defensive position as Emerald Man skidded on his back. Dare charged at Wally with dual nightsticks, but the speedster easily dodged his blows. But when Wally felt something sharp dig into his back, he realized it was only a distraction.

Gargoyle slowly paced around him as he pulled the shuriken out. Wally ran towards Gargoyle, but much to his surprise, Gargoyle managed to hit him. "A _tranquilizer_." He explained. "About _ten times_ the normal dose I use. It won't be enough to _kill you_ with your metabolism, but you won't be using that _super-speed_ for a while."

Wally grit his teeth and charged again. He wasn't used to fighting without his speed, but he could still hold his own. Unfortunately, Gargoyle had mastered far more forms of martial arts than the soldier. He struck two of Wally's nerves, temporarily paralyzing him. Captain Hyper and Green Machine took that as their cue to place the restraints on him.

"NOOOOO!" Wally shouted in pure fury as Green Machine used his ring to lift him into the air and drag him onto the airship. "You _bastards!_ I'll _get you_ for this! You _killed my dad!_ "

* * *

 **BARGAINING**

Wally was brought to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, still struggling to free himself. As they walked through the halls, he kept yelling in anger at them until Green Machine constructed a muzzle over his mouth. When they finally got to their destination, Director Hill and the U.N. were waiting for them.

"Now, Mr. Barnes…?" Kara spoke, softly. "We will _remove_ the muzzle, if you agree to _cooperate_."

Wally nodded and Rhodey made the construct dissipate. "So, why am I _here?_ "

" _This_ is why." Tony held out the letter, letting the young man read it. Since he was still under the effects of Gargoyle's tranquilizer, Rhodey released him from the restraints so he could hold the piece of paper in his own hands.

"When Steve fought Zoom…" Tony continued. "Zoom said the reason he needed to _kill him_ was because his _legacy_ started an _uprising_ against Zoom. The United Nations has thought over _every scenario_ and has come to a _conclusion_. The loss of Flag, Hyperman, and Thunder Woman will inspire a _lot_ of bad guys to come out of hiding. We need to show them that we _haven't_ been hindered. Which is why we want _you_ to take up the mantle of the Flag."

Wally looked around the room, skeptically. What Jordan said was true, Zoom wanted to destroy Steve's legacy as well as himself. If he took up the role, maybe it would be enough to bring Zoom back so that Wally could finally stop him. Tony spoke up again.

"Think of it _this way;_ would you rather we _force this_ upon someone _else?_ Do you think Steve would prefer _anyone else_ to fill his boots?"

"Okay… I'll _do it_." Wally said, at last.

"Wonderful!" Hill exclaimed.

"On _three conditions!_ " Wally added.

Tony held up his palm. He didn't even have to turn around to see that Hill and the other members of the U.N. were prepared to yell at the former Winter Speedster in defiance. Motioning with his hand, Tony coaxed the audience to remain seated, then he crossed his arms and spoke to Wally again. " _Name_ them."

" _One;_ you use every available resource you have to _probe_ my brain, and see to it that that goddamn Russian programming can _never_ be used against me, _ever again_."

"Okay…" Tony nodded, as did most of the others. It was a perfectly reasonable request. "What _else?_ "

" _Two;_ you will _release_ and _pardon_ all of Steve's friends from custody." That one made a few of them uneasy. Technically, Flag's rogue Justice Legion had broken the law, and they weren't eager to release them just yet. But Wally was their only chance at having the name of the Flag live on.

"Alright…" Tony rubbed his chin. "And what's the _third_ condition?"

" _Three;_ they work with _me_ to help _anyone_ who needs help at _any time_. And we don't answer to _you_ or _anyone else_. Steve _didn't;_ neither will _we_."

"Hey!" Hill pointed, accusingly. "That's _four_ things!"

"The last one was a _two-parter_." Wally muttered.

The members of the United Nations bickered between each other for several minutes. To Wally, it felt like an eternity as he awaited their decision. At last, England's ambassador called Hill over to him and whispered something to him. The Director sighed heavily and walked over to the former Kid-Flag.

"The U.N. _accepts_ those terms." He said, begrudgingly.

* * *

 **DEPRESSION**

 _Thunder Woman held John Foster close to her chest as they flew through the sky to Seattle, Washington. When they landed at the address he told her, she tapped her hammer on the ground, transforming into the mild-mannered Diana Blake. John adjusted his tie and gripped the flowers in his hand. He made his way up to the beautiful house and rang the doorbell._

 _A few minutes later, a young boy, no older than five, opened the door. John's smile grew wider at the sight of his nephew. The boy tilted his head in confusion, he didn't recognize this man and wondered why he was here._

" _George?" A woman's voice came from another room, and grew closer. "George, sweetie, who is it?"_

 _Stacy was carrying a tray of freshly baked cookies and a tall pitcher of lemonade. When she saw John, Stacy let the tray drop to the ground, ignoring the mess. Her hands covered her quivering lips as John slowly walked over to her. "I've come to_ dinner _… if you'll_ have room _for_ _me?"_

 _Stacy hugged her brother tightly, never wanting to let go._

George and his sister Janey walked with their mother over to the Vietnam memorial. Stacy tearfully knelt down and placed a picture on the base of the wall. The picture had John and herself hugging as they playfully pressed their cheeks against each other's, while Diana had her arm around Steve's shoulder.

"... _goodbye_ , Johnny." She cried.

Janey took Stacy back to the car, while George lingered over the picture a little longer. "Rest in _peace_ , Uncle John…" He went back to the car, and drove his family back to the airport to go home and make funeral arrangements for Diana and John.

At that moment, Lois and Karen had taken Kent's body back to Kansas so that he could be buried next to his parents. Almost half of Littlesburg population came to pay respects, they all loved Kent, and were dreadfully grieved to hear of his passing. Mr. White and Ayesha also came to bid their friend a final farewell.

When the funeral ended, Karen handed Lois a package with Kent's name on it. "Kal… I mean, _Kent_ … h-he had this sent _here_ so that he could _surprise you_ …"

Lois took the package and stroked the poor girl's cheek. Inside, was a beautiful diamond ring.

And at the same time, over in Washington, D.C., Wally, Sharon, Bart, Sam, Tod, and Oliver watched as Captain Steven Allen was lowered down into his grave. When everyone else left, Bart asked if anyone in their group wanted to say something, prompting Wally to step forward.

"A lot of people knew him as _the Flag_ or _Captain Allen._ I was lucky enough to call him _Steve_." Wally paused for a moment, wiping away his tears. "At a _glance_ , people would think that he only saw me as his _side-kick_ , and I only saw _him_ as my _teacher_ … but you take away the _costumes_ , and the _powers_ , and the _war_ … they'd see that he was _so much more_ than my _mentor_ … he became my _father_ …"

Sharon put her arms around him, trying to offer comfort. And soon, Sam joined them. As did Bart, Tod, and Oliver. They stood there for as long as they needed to, letting them appreciate each other's company. Wally opened his eyes and looked at them all, wondering what he did to deserve such support. His eyes eventually looked up to the sky, and he smiled.

" _Thank you_ , dad…" he whispered, sadly.

* * *

 **ACCEPTANCE**

The Justice Legion of Avengers looked out at the crowd of millions of people, watching as the funeral process went on. Ten bagpipers played Amazing Grace as three horse-drawn carriages carried the caskets to the gilded statue of the three heroes who had fallen.

"All _that_ just to bury three _empty_ coffins…" Matt sighed.

"They don't know how to _grieve_ for them… except as _soldiers_." Selina replied.

"Well, the time for _grieving_ is _over_ …" Everyone turned to see Tony lead Steve's friend's into the building. The last one to enter was a man dressed in black pants with red boots, a red and white lightning-bolt covered his abdomen with a blue breastplate with a white star on it. His mask was also blue, brandishing the letter 'A' and white wings on the side. Most important of all, he was carrying Steve's shield.

"Are you _ready_ for this, Wally?" Sharon asked.

" _Hell, no_ …" Wally shook his head. "But that never stopped _Steve_. So, let _Red Zoom, Baron Zero,_ and all _other_ villains _beware;_ The Flag is _alive_ …"

 **To Be Continued!**


	74. The Ballad of Delta-Ray Donna part 1

**Chapter XXVI: The Ballad of Delta-Ray Donna! Part 1**

 _ **The Planet Corbin. Three Years Ago**_

 _Hyperman and Marvelgirl stood beside the Grand General of Corben, Gamma-Ray Caleb, and his wife. Any minute now, his daughter and her siblings would walk down the hall of the Emperor's palace and be knighted as Thunder Woman's apprentice. After being granted her own enchanted weapon, she would return with them to Earth and join the Justice Legion of Avengers._

" _You must be very proud, Grand General." Hyperman smiled._

" _Oh, I_ am _." Caleb nodded. "Never before has any other being in the universe proven themselves worthy of wielding the Thunder Woman's hammer."_

 _Suddenly, a loud noise came from down the halls. Donna laughed as her siblings joyfully carried her. Kara was taken aback by the odd display. She had just met the Corbinite a few days ago, and she seemed like a good enough person, but her rambunctious behaviour often clashed with her more reserved personality. The orange-skinned girl jumped off of her oldest siblings' shoulders, flipped through the air, and landed right in front of Kara._

" _Friend Kara Zor-Ran!" Donna hugged the Radonian, tight. Then she pointed to her large family. "Allow me to introduce you to my brothers and sisters! This is Alpha-Ray Amber, Alpha-Ray Andrew, Beta-Ray Betty, Beta-Ray Bill, Gamma-Ray Courtney, Gamma-Ray Charles, Delta-Ray Daniel, Epsilon-Ray Emma, Epsilon-Ray Edward, Zeta-Ray Zada, Zeta-Ray Zack, Eta-Ray Elizabeth, Eta-Ray Evan, Theta-Ray Tabitha, Theta-Ray Tahu-"_

" _So_ many _…" Kara sounded nervous._

" _Daughter, it is time." Caleb patted her shoulder. The Grand General and Hyperman opened the doors and Donna beamed at the sight of Corbin's population, cheering for her achievement. She strode down the aisle, holding her head up high. Once she got to the Emperor's throne, she knelt down, respectively, and Diana stepped forward._

" _Delta-Ray Donna. Daughter of Corbin. Warrior of the Fourth Generation." The Goddess of Thunder held out a shining axe. "Behold, the Stormbreaker. A gift from Odin, King of Asgard. Forged from the same Uru metal that created the mighty Mjolnir. Do you_ swear _to use it's power for_ good? _"_

" _I_ swear _." Donna replied._

" _Do you_ swear _to defend the innocent and avenge the downtrodden?"_

" _I_ swear. _"_

" _Do you_ swear _to cast aside any selfish intentions you might have had in the past, and to one day take my place as the Thunder Woman?"_

" _I_ swear! _"_

" _Then by the power vested in me, by the Highfather Odin and Emperor of Corbin, I now pronounce you my sister in arms…" Diana handed the axe to Donna. "Apprentice of the Thunder Woman."_

 _Donna rose to face the crowd, holding Stormbreaker over her head as they cheered._

* * *

 _ **New York City, NY. Seven Months Ago**_

 _A week after being rescued from the Masters of Doom, Donna's friends, the other proteges of the JLA, had invited her to come with them for coffee. Eager to experience human culture, she agreed. As they walked towards the coffee shop, she tried to mingle with the others. But something Bart said had confused her._

" _I don't understand…" She shrugged, adjusting the hoodie Karen had lent her. "Why do I need to kiss, marry, or kill anyone?"_

" _For the_ third time… _and I_ have _been counting…" Bart rubbed his temples. "It is just a_ game _. You will_ never _have to do_ any of those things _if you don't_ want to _. It's just_ hypothetical _. Watch…" Bart tapped Tim's shoulder, earning his attention. "Hey, Tim. Kiss, Marry, Kill; the cast of FRIENDS."_

" _Kiss Monica Geller, marry Phoebe Buffay, kill Rachel Greene." The Latino teen answered without hesitation._

 _Once they got their drinks, they sat down at their table and Karen distributed the drinks. Bart took one sip of his Americano and looked down in disappointment. "Karen, why'd you get me_ decaf? _"_

" _Uh, knowing_ you?" _Karen pushed her glasses up her nose as she sipped her cappuccino. "The_ last thing _you need is_ caffeine _."_

 _Tim sniggered as he sipped his espresso. Donna looked down at her own ceramic cup, amazed at the white heart-shape floating in the brown liquid. "What is this, again?"_

" _A_ latte _." Tim explained. "It has_ espresso, steamed milk, foam, and chocolate syrup. _You'll_ love _it."_

 _Donna slowly lifted the cup to her lips and let the warm liquid pour into her mouth. The flavor danced over her taste buds, and she quickened her pace. When the cup was empty, she grinned at her friends. "This drink is_ delicious! _" She got up from her seat and pointed at the elderly barista. "You! You must be_ proud _of this achievement! I demand_ another! _"_

 _The old man ducked just in time before the cup hit him. Karen and Bart went over to check on him while Tim shoved her. "What the hell was_ that, _Donna?!"_

" _It was_ good _, I wanted_ anotherone. _" Donna sounded hurt._

" _Well, then you_ ask _for it!" Tim explained, firmly. "You don't_ throw things _at old men!"_

" _I'm_ sorry, _I meant no offense."_

" _Well,_ okay _, just no more_ throwing stuff _. Deal?"_

" _...you have my_ word. _" Donna apologized. As Tim sat back down, Donna looked at him. No one had ever spoken to her in such a manner before. Tim's voice was strong and confident, even though he was speaking to someone who could crush him with little effort. It felt very... arousing._

* * *

 _ **One Month Ago**_

 _Donna found herself stumbling through a swirling vortex of Olympian magic. Just a few moments ago, she and her sister were confronted with King Zeus and his army at the gates of Asgard. The Olympian god had shattered her enchanted axe as though it were nothing. The next thing she knew, she had been sent away._

 _With Stormbreaker destroyed, she would soon revert to her original Corbinite form. Luckily, the portal opened up and she landed on a strange planet before she lost her enhanced invulnerability. When she regained her footing, she looked around to see the hideous landscape. The vegetation had been dead for a long time, and the soil was hard and lacked any nourishment._

 _She could feel the enchantment of the axe had worn off, and opted to see if her normal Corbinite strength was still functioning. It was customary for all children of Grand Generals to receive special implants that would increase their own natural strength. She located a large rock and lifted it over her head, easily._

 _Now that she knew she could still defend herself, she chose to start heading forward to find civilization. Deciding to move north, she saw a ship moving towards her. She waved her arms in the air, hoping to catch their attention. The ship landed in front of her and a group of aliens came out._

" _Hi, there." She curtsied._

 _The aliens threw a net onto her, which sent a powerful surge of electricity through her body. The aliens dragged her unconscious body onto the ship and headed to an arena. When she woke up, she was being carried through a dilapidated city to a magnificent palace. The citizens looked weak and sickly, Donna felt sorry for them._

 _When they arrived at their destination, the aliens tied her down to a cold steel chair. Sitting across from her was a large man with yellow skin. He wore blue war-paint and a purple robe. Beside him was a wrinkled old woman in similar clothing._

" _And what have you brought for me_ today _, Granny Midnight?" He asked._

" _A_ contender _, my lord." The woman replied. "_ ThisCorbinite _is the fabled Delta-Ray Donna. Apprentice of the Thunder Woman."_

" _The Thunder Woman?" The man cocked an eyebrow. "Surely, then, she will come_ looking _for her apprentice?"_

" _Not at_ all _, Lord Gamesmaster." Midnight smiled. "My sources have just received word that Thunder Woman was last seen on_ Earth _fighting her fellow gods. She was the_ last one standing _… but she_ succumbed _to her injuries."_

" _What…?" Donna's voice cracked. The words hit her like a freight train. The woman she admired most had died in battle while she was away. It felt as if something had broken deep inside of her. All she wanted to do now was sink into the ground and disappear forever._

" _Well then," Gamesmaster smiled. "Delta-Ray Donna, congratulations, you are now the newest contestant of Warworld. You will start in the arena_ first thing _tomorrow morning."_

" _I will not_ kill _for you!" Donna snapped as tears still fell from her eyes._

" _Oh, I believe you_ will _. Granny, bring her." The duo took Donna to the top of the palace. There, she found a complex war room with a large weapon in the center. "This is called the_ 'planet-killer _._ ' _" He explained. When fully charged it has the power to destroy an entire_ galaxy _. But I only use it to destroy the homeworlds of those who_ refuse _to obey…"_

 _Donna hung her head in shame. She knew she had been beaten. Granny Midnight took her down to the dungeon, where she awaited her first battle in the morning._

* * *

 **Gamesmaster's Arena. Present Day**

Donna woke up in her cell. Midnight had entered her room with the same false smile on her face. The Corbinite had spent every day for the past month fighting for her life all for Gamesmaster's amusement. She questioned why she continued to play his games; killing others just so that she could live in this nightmare. She was beginning to lose hope.

She missed her families. Both from Corbin and from Earth.

"And how's the champion doing _today?_ " Midnight snarked. Donna spat in her direction. "Well, I _understand_ you've grown _tired_ of being here. It just so happens that my master has grown tired of your _victories_. So, he has come to a _conclusion:_ I have recently come across a being that _I believe_ is strong enough to finally _kill you_. If _they win_ , you will _die_. But if _you win_ , he will grant you your _freedom!_ "

Donna's ears perked up. One more battle. All she had to do was win one more battle, and she could go back to Corbin. When Granny Midnight left, Donna put her armor on and awaited for the prison door to open up. When the bars slid open, she made her way past the other prisoners. Some were cheering for her, others were begging for her to free them.

Meanwhile, up in the stands, Gamesmaster had taken his seat at the throne. Granny Midnight sat down beside him. "Are you _certain_ this new contender can defeat the Corbinite?"

" _Yes_ , my lord… you will _never_ find a stronger being to have at your disposal."

"I certainly _hope not_ , Granny. For _your_ sake." Gamesmaster grabbed the microphone as Donna walked into the arena. "Citizens of Warworld! I give you _your champion!_ " Donna put on her helmet and crouched down into a fighting stance as the crowd chanted her name. "And now, I give you her _challenger_ … a very _special opponent_ that I am told may finally _end_ Delta-Ray Donna's winning streak. I give you… the _adventurous…_ the _powerful…_ the _marvelous…!"_

Before he could finish, the doors on the opposite end of the arena burst open. A blonde woman in a blue and red costume snarled at Donna. Her fists were glowing brightly with energy, she hovered in the air, and the red 'H' on her belt glistened in the sunlight.

Donna stood in shock for a brief moment, then she smiled. " _YEEEEEEEES!_ "

The crowd fell silent. Gamesmaster and Midnight shared a confused look. Had this young woman lost her mind? "Uh… _Delta-Ray?_ Are you _alright?_ " Midnight spoke into the microphone.

"We _know_ each other!" Donna exclaimed. "She's a _friend_ from school!" This was perfect. Together, Kara and Donna could break free from the arena and escape from Warworld. But Captain Hyper didn't look like she wanted to leave. She clenched her fists and flew towards her enemy.

"Uh, oh…" Donna gasped, realizing all was not as it seemed.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Granny Midnight(Proxima Midnight/Granny Goodness)**

 **The Gamesmaster(Grandmaster/Mongul)**


	75. The Ballad of Delta-Ray Donna part 2

**Chapter XXVI: The Ballad of Delta-Ray Donna! Part 2**

 _ **One Week Ago.**_

 _Captain Hyper and Dare stood before the U.N. and recited their vows. Now that Kara's cousin was gone, the world government wanted her to step in as the Justice Legion's strongest member. And Gargoyle decided that it was time for Tim to rise above the Dare persona. After being sworn in, Director Hill requested that Kara speak with him in his office._

" _Y'know,_ I _personally voted that we wait until you were twenty-one to be_ upped up _." Hill sounded sincere. "But, circumstances require us to take drastic measures. So,_ eighteen _is now where we draw the line."_

" _Um… did you need to_ tell me _something?" Kara wanted him to get to the point._

" _Sorry." He sighed. "We want you to find_ Donna _." Kara looked surprised. "We went over the news footage of the war in Seattle. We didn't see any sign of her. So, we have reason to believe that she might still be alive, trying to_ cope _by spending her time in space."_

" _So, you want_ me _to go out into_ infinite space _to find_ one person? _" Kara crossed her arms. "And, what exactly_ happens _when she decides that she doesn't_ want _to join the JLA? Are you guys gonna kick_ her _out, too?"_

" _Kid,_ please _…" Hill rubbed his temples. "If you can_ find _her, you_ find her _. If you_ can't, _you come_ home _."_

 _Kara could hear his steady heartbeat. He was just as tired of the U.N. keeping them on such a short leash as she was. Then she thought about Donna; how she could be out in space, alone and sad, crying about her lost tutor._

" _Okay, I'll_ try _." She conceded. "But, I'll need a_ ship _."_

" _I thought you could_ hold your breath _in space." Hill asked._

"Yeah _…" Kara crossed her arms. "But that doesn't mean_ Donna _can."_

* * *

 **Present Day.**

Donna managed to duck out from Captain Hyper's attack just in time. The young Radonian woman slammed into the wall, but quickly regained her composure. Donna held up her shield just as one of Kara's plasma-bolts struck her. The crowd cheered in excitement as the fight continued. Kara drank in the applause, hovering above the ground as she yelled in triumph.

Thunder Woman's former student took advantage of her distraction and jumped on her back. Wrapping her arms around Kara's shoulders, she tried to hold on as Kara slammed her against the arena. "I am _not_ your _enemy_ , friend Kara!" She shouted into her ear. "Try to _think!_ "

"I _think_ I wanna _kill you!_ " Captain Hyper screeched. She grabbed Donna's arms and threw her back to the ground.

"Alright… _fine_." Donna muttered to herself. She removed the battleaxe from its sheath and crouched down into a fighting position. Kara flew a few more feet into the air and then dove after the Corbinite. When the axe hit Kara's face, she slammed into the ground, shattering it as she tumbled.

The crowd was on its feet at the spectacular fight. Kara slammed her fists against the ground and pushed herself back up. Donna swung the axe, again, but Kara caught it in her palm. She yanked it out of her grip and bent the blades out of shape. Donna unsheathed the dual katanas from her back and blocked Kara's punches as quickly as she could. She made the mistake of trying to stab her. Kara's skin shattered the blades down to the hilt.

"... I'm sorry." She tried, meekly.

Kara responded by delivering a backhand slap that sent her friend flying across the arena. Once more, the crowd gave a standing ovation to the Radonian heroine. Kara threw her arms into the air, begging for more cheers. Donna struggled to push herself up on her hands, and looked back to her opponent.

Kara Zor-Ran, or Karen as she prefered, had always been one of the nicest beings Donna had ever met. But now, she was beating her to a pulp with no remorse. Was it possible that the grief of losing her cousin had finally pushed her over the edge?

However, once she got back on her feet, she noticed something glistening on Kara's finger. Focusing her vision, she saw a ring with a glowing red rock on it. In that moment, a faint memory flashed through her mind.

 _Kara and Donna laughed as they carried Tim and Bart over the snowy glaciers of Antarctica, with Firehawk following close behind. The reached their destination at the Citadel of Isolation, and Kara opened the door with the hand-scanning device. "Welcome to my_ home _away from_ home! _" The Teen of Might announced._

" _This. Is. So._ CRASH! _" Bart exclaimed, and proceeded to race through the halls._

" _Okay, I gotta admit… this is pretty cool." Ronnie looked around the crystal palace._

"Finally, _something we_ agree on _." Tim said, who was also impressed with the unique structure._

" _What lies behind this door?" Donna placed her hand on a large doorway with an image of a red diamond on it._

" _Oh, no!" Kara gently grabbed her friend's wrist and moved it away. Then, she pointed down the hallway, which had lead-lined doors with different-colored diamonds on each of them. "_ This _is where Hyperman keeps the Radonite samples."_

" _Why does he keep_ Radonite samples? _" Tim crossed his arms._

" _He hopes he'll find a_ vaccine _for it, one day." Kara explained. "Behind that door is the_ red Radonite _. In simple terms, whereas the_ green Radonite _affects us_ physically _, the_ red Radonite _affects us_ emotionally _."_

" _Emotionally?" Ronnie sounded curious. "How so?"_

" _Well,_ essentially, _it emits a neurological wave of radiation that triggers the_ aggression centers _of a Radonian's brain, and negates their_ inhibitions _."_

" _In_ other words _," Tim took a step back from the door. "An angry Radonian on the_ loose _."_

Donna was brought back to reality with another super-powerful punch. Kara held Donna by the neck, letting her fists charge with the powerful energy once again. But instead of trying to break free, Donna was trying to pull the ring off of her finger. "Ah, ah, _ah!_ " Kara tossed her captive aside. "I _like_ my new accessory, _thank you!_ "

"Friend Kara, you are under the spell of that crimson rock." Donna tried to speak calmly. "Let me _help_ you…"

"I don't _need_ any help!" Kara snarled. "The Gamesmaster has made me _famous!_ I'll _never_ feel _sad_ or _alone_ again!"

Donna could see the pain buried in her friend's eyes, and she understood that pain well. The Gamesmaster had given Kara the ring to use as a crutch. Kara proceeded to beat Donna until the Corbinite was lying, unconscious, on the ground. Captain Hyper looked to Gamemaster's throne, silently asking for his verdict. When he rose from his throne, he gave a thumbs down, ordering her to kill Donna.

Kara flew into the air, charging her fists with the plasma-bolts again. When high enough, she flew back down towards Donna at her top speed. But suddenly, like magic, two long arms stretched out from the ground and pulled Donna in. When Kara landed, her victim was nowhere to be seen.

"No!" Gamesmaster shouted in fury. Then, he turned to Granny Midnight. "Find that Corbinite and bring her to _me!_ She will _watch as_ I use the planet-killer to wipe out her entire race!"

And thus, the message was sent all across the Warworld. Delta-Ray Donna was now the planet's public enemy number one.

* * *

When Donna woke up, her vision was fuzzy. At first, there was only darkness, but many strings of lights soon came into view. When she finally propped herself up, she saw who had rescued her. An alien with green skin, purple markings, and a black fin on top of his head, was bandaging up her wounds. He didn't seem like a threat, but she remained cautious.

" _You need not be afraid. I will not_ harm _you."_ The voice in her head startled Donna, prompting her to push herself away until she was backed against the wall. _"Apologies. My people always communicated through telepathy. It is still difficult for me to remember that not everyone is familiar with my culture. Perhaps_ this _will help."_ The alien's skin began to shift into a more humanoid form, while remaining the same color. The fin on his head thickened to resemble a mohawk, and a black bodysuit spread over his skin. Finally, a red triangle appeared over his chest and a yellow cape sprouted from his shoulders.

"Who _are_ you?" Donna's curiosity piqued. She hugged her legs to her chest as she listened carefully.

"I am _K'hann K'allark_." He answered, out loud. "And I am the _last_ of the _Martian Gladiators_."

"My father used to tell me _stories_ about your people." Donna's eyes widened with excitement. "The Martian race achieved a _utopian society_. What… what ever _happened_ to you? Why are you _here?_ "

K'hann looked down at the ground, as if he were ashamed of the very soil he stood upon. "The Gamesmaster wanted to _use us_ as his personal army. When we _refused_ , he _burned_ my planet to the ground… women _and_ children, alike… until only _I_ remained…"

"I… I'm _so sorry_ …" Donna mourned. " _I_ have a family, too. On my _homeworld_. I wish to see them, again."

"I can _help_ you." K'hann looked up. "But you must help _me_ , first."

"How?"

"I managed to _escape_ before Granny Midnight delivered me to the arena. They thought I had _perished_ when I entered the planet's atmosphere, but my physiology helped me _survive_. I used my power to change form to _spectate_ the arena. Saving those who were on the brink of death. Slowly, but _surely_ , we have built up a _resistance_. And I believe that with the help of Gamesmaster's _champion_ , we can succeed. Will you help us?"

Donna looked down at the Martian's hand. After everything she had been through, lately, it gave her comfort to think that she could finally see her friends and family again. She stood up, and shook his hand, firmly. "I am Delta-Ray Donna of Corbin… and you may call me a _friend_."

Donna smiled, thinking that things were finally looking up for her. She and K'hann wandered further down the cavern, the Corbinite was astonished by the luminescent crystals that grew out of the walls. Aside from the different color, they looked like different forms of the element that stole away Hyperman's strength. That gave her an idea on how to save Kara, but it would have to wait. At last, they reached the end of the tunnel. Donna estimated that there must have been at least fifty-two aliens huddled underneath the massive cave.

It broke her heart to see so many men, women, and children suffering because of the Gamesmaster's tyrannical rule. Many of them were sick and injured, lying on the ground, barely able to move. But a flicker of hope remained as she saw how they interacted with each other. The strongest among them looked after the weakest; providing blankets, water, and comfort.

"eXcUsE mE?" Donna felt a strong breath brush against the back of her neck. Slowly turning around, she saw an eight-foot tall alien comprised entirely out of stone. Every word he said sounded like gravel pouring out of his mouth. "i NeEd To HeLp HeR…"

Donna turned around again, noticing a woman holding a sickly infant in her arms. Reluctantly, she stepped aside to let the man pass. He set the bowl on the ground and gingerly dabbed the baby's forehead with a damp towelette. Donna's heart melted at the adorable gesture.

"That's _Krunk._ " K'hann answered before she could ask. "He helps look after the _children_. He was the _first_ that I rescued from the arena. Together, he and I have slowly been building a resistance to free this planet. Your help will be _much appreciated_ , but now that Gamesmaster has a _Radonian_ under his thumb, I fear all hope is _lost_."

"Not _necessarily_ …" Donna sat, cross-legged, on the ground, preparing to meditate. "K'hann, those _glowing rocks_ in the caverns…" The Martian nodded. "I need you to gather up all of the _green ones_ you can find, and bring them to me."

K'allark nodded once again, and walked off to do as instructed. Once he was gone, Donna closed her eyes to focus on her meditation. "Mjolnir…" She whispered. "Please… _reveal_ yourself to me… _heed_ my _prayer_ … I need you _now_ more than _ever_ …"

She could see the hammer, floating through the empty void of space, but it would not move. Donna didn't understand; she had been trying to reach out to it ever since she learned what had happened to Thunder Woman and the others, but the spell wasn't working.

" _Perhaps my failure to aide Asgard…"_ She thought, tearfully. _"Has now, left me_ unworthy _."_

"Donna?" She opened her eyes, and found K'hann kneeling in front of her. "I found it."

Donna eagerly repositioned herself onto her knees and held out her palms to receive the Radonite. But her smile quickly faded away, replaced with a disappointed scowl. The Radonite was no bigger than her index finger. "This is _it?_ "

"I'm _sorry,_ that's is all I could find." K'hann replied. "Is it not what you _need?_ "

Donna sighed, lightly. "I-I'm _sorry_ … this might still _work_."

Suddenly, a sonic boom was heard from outside the cave. Everyone was afraid of what was soon to come. K'hann acted quickly, using his telepathy to coax them to seek shelter in the smaller caverns. "Donna, I can sense your friend is _coming_. What do we _do?_ "

"Don't worry! I have a _plan_." She looked down at the Radonite in her palm with a worried expression. _"I hope…"_

 **To Be Continued!**

 **K'hann K'allark(Gladiator/Martian Manhunter)**


	76. The Ballad of Delta-Ray Donna part 3

**Chapter XXVI: The Ballad of Delta-Ray Donna! Part 3**

K'hann directed everyone to the back of the cavern while Donna wielded the green shard like a dagger. The Corbinite tried to steady herself as the rumbling grew louder. Soon the hypnotised Captain Hyper would burst in and lay waste to the resistance. Unless Donna could stop her.

"Diana… if you can hear me, _give me strength_."

At last, the young Radonite woman crashed into the caves. Her face was as red as the Radonite on her finger, her breaths were heavy and sporadic, and her fists were glowing as bright as her fury.

"Kara… I don't _want_ to do this." Donna tried. "But you leave me _no choice_. K'hann, _now!"_

The shapeshifting alien wrapped his malleable limbs around Captain Hyper, binding her with his indestructible flesh. Donna took her chance and plunged the shard into Kara's chest, causing her body to lurch from the pain. Donna quickly snatched the ring off of her finger and crushed it beneath her heel.

Karen's screaming grew louder as the green Radonite forced her to sweat the red out through her pores. When all that was left of the crimson skurge, Donna yanked the green Radonite out out Karen's flesh and tossed it aside. K'hann gently laid the weary super-hero on the ground and Donna knelt down next to her.

"Kara? Er, _Karen?_ _Marvelgirl?"_ Donna didn't know what to call her at the moment; she was too nervous to really care.

"Mmmm…" Kara's eyelids fluttered open, her vision slightly blurred. "Donna? Is that _you?"_

"Yes…" Donna sighed in relief. "You're _free_ from the red Radonite."

"' _Red Radonite?!'"_ Kara stuttered. "Oh, God, what did I _do?!_ I didn't _hurt anyone,_ did I?!"

"No! No, no, no, no, _no._ It's _fine_. You didn't hurt _anyone_." Donna soothed. "Well, you and _I_ had a _fight_."

"A _fight?"_ Kara rubbed the sand out of her eyes. "Did I _win?"_

" _Ummm…_ " Donna pursed her lips and shook her head. " _No. I_ won. Easily."

"What? That doesn't sound _right_. _"_

"Well, it's the _truth."_

After giving Kara a chance to regain her strength, K'hann spoke to the resistance about their plan of attack. His Martian telepathy allowed him to speak to them all in their own languages, simultaneously. _"My friends… this is the day we have been waiting for… we will break free from the shackles of Gamesmaster's oppression. All you need to do is create a diversion so that I may infiltrate the arsenal where they have the planet-killer. Once the weapon falls, Gamesmaster has no power over us. Now,_ go _… and may H'ronmeer be with you all."_

"K'hann, Kara must stay here. She has yet to heal from her injuries." Donna advised.

"Of course, my friend." He agreed. " _Krunk_ will look after her. _Won't you_ , Krunk?"

The stone-skinned alien gave a thumbs-up with a crooked smile and continued to cover Kara with blankets. Donna sighed, and joined the rest of the resistance.

They made their way to the central spaceport of the city and planted detonators around the fuel cells. Once they were clear, Donna set the timer for four minutes and darted off to hide with the others.

"Uh, Donna, are you _certain_ this will work?" One person asked.

"Of course!" Donna replied. "My sisters and I did it as a _joke_ for my brothers when we were younger. Well, only, at a much _smaller scale_. My people are _rather humorous_ like that. For _instance;_ one time, my elder brother, Gamma-Ray Charlie, gave me a _snarlette_ , because he knows I _love_ snarlettes, so I take it in my arms to _admire_ it, when suddenly it-"

The Corbinite was cut off by the loud explosion behind her. The spaceport was in shambles and the sirens blared. The resistance prepared themselves for the Gamesmaster's soldiers to arrive. But what they weren't prepared for was when the Gamesmaster, himself, joined the garrison.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Martian Gladiator phased through the walls of the arsenal. When he found the planet-killer, it was surrounded by twenty soldiers and Granny Midnight. The cruel slave-driver slashed the engineers with an energy whip as she shouted.

"Hurry up!" She ordered. "His _royal pain_ could give the order at any moment!" The minions shivered as a shadow passed over the ancient woman. Midnight turned around, and shrank in terror at the sight of her master. "L-Lord Gamesmaster! I-I thought you were-"

" _Change of plans!"_ Gamesmaster bellowed. "We are to _decommission_ this weapon _at once!_ "

"Decommission?" Midnight asked. "B-but _sir_ , what about the _Corbinite_ , and-"

"Or do you still think I'm being a _royal… pain…?"_ Gamesmaster growled, bitterly.

"N- _No,_ my liege…" She squeaked. "Alright! You _heard him!_ Decommission the weapon _at once!_ " She adjusted the energy beam on her whip, making it burst into flames with every strike.

The Gamesmaster shuddered at the horrible sight. The flames danced around the people in a taunting manner. Suddenly, his mind went back to the burning red soil of his homeworld, as men, women, and children alike suffered at the hands of tyrants. His mind felt as though a long metal spike was tearing through it.

"My Lord…?" Midnight had noticed his discomfort.

"Ah! AH-AH! AAAAAAAAHHHH!" The Gamesmaster's skin began to shift and warp, as did his face and height. At last, K'hann had reverted back to his true form.

"Well, _well_ …" Midnight sniggered as she slashed at the Martian with her whip. "It's been a _long time_ , K'allark!"

At that time, the real Gamesmaster was leading his legion against the resistance. He halted the march just in front of them. He smiled in triumph as they stood paralyzed with fear. Any spirit they had held before was now long gone. He reached behind him and pulled out a powerful laser rifle, aiming it at the aliens.

"Wait!" Donna shouted. She would not stand to see these innocent people die. "This is _my fault_ , not _theirs_ … _I_ was the one who inspired them to press the attack. Any _loss_ you have suffered today are due to _my_ actions, alone. So, let them _live_ and take _my life_."

Gamesmaster looked down at the orange-skinned woman, contemplating her offer. He pressed the barrel of his cannon to her chest and pulled the trigger. The resistance troops gasped in shock as the tyrant pushed Donna aside. "Take them _back_ to the arena. And _kill_ those who _resist."_ He demanded, and charged his rifle once again.

Donna choked on her blood as she lay, helpless, on the ground. She knew she was dying, but at least she had saved the others. They would still get to live a little longer. Her breathing slowed to a crawl and her eyelids slowly slide shut. She had no more energy left in her.

" _Whosoever holds this hammer…"_ A voice echoed in her mind. _"If they be worthy…"_ The voice grew louder. _" Shall possess the powers of the THUNDER WOMAN."_ Donna suced in a strong breath and opened her eyes.

Gamesmaster, his minions, and the resistance troops heard a sonic boom coming from War World's atmosphere. Something was heading towards them at a fantastic speed. It's trajectory altered as it got closer, heading straight for Donna. And with a newfound will to live, her arm shot upwards and grabbed Mjolnir out of the air.

A beam of blue lightning cracked the sky open, showering her with Asgardian magic. The power she had cherished before flooded back into her veins, healing her wound as it garbed her in Diana's costume. Once the transformation was complete, the new Thunder Woman threw Mjolnir directly at Gamesmaster and his soldiers, killing half of them with one strike.

"Fight on!" She ordered the resistance as she lifted herself into the air. "Until the _last breath, fight on!_ "

The resistance cheered with their newfound valor and charged at the remaining forces. Donna flew to the arsenal at her top speed. K'hann did his best to hold off Granny Midnight, but the traumatic memories running through his mind made it hard for him to focus. Luckily, just as Midnight prepared the killing blow, a mighty hammer broke through the wall and knocked her head clean off of her shoulders. Mjolnir halted in the air and then reversed its flight path until it was back in Donna's hand.

"K'hann!" She went to check on her friend. "Are you _alright?"_

"The planet-killer!" He warned. "It's _started!_ They've aimed it at your home planet, Donna! What do we do?"

Without hesitation, Donna flew back outside and hovered in front of the large cannon. A bright glow came from the bottom of the massive barrel while a low hum grew louder. Donna yawned as she waited for it to fire at her. At last, the giant beam of destructive light crept out of the cannon and Donna promptly whacked it back with Mjolnir. The feedback began to destroy the facility.

Donna hastily flew back, just in time to save K'hann. The two friends flew back to the damaged spaceport, where they found the Gamesmaster, beaten and broken. Donna paced up to him and pointed her hammer at him, menacingly.

"Wait!" He begged. "W-we can make a _deal!_ I-I'll give you whatever you _want!"_

"A _tempting offer."_ Donna mused. "But I fear you'll have to take it up with _them."_ She kicked him over to the resistance troops, and they proceeded to beat him to death.

K'hann looked down and saw the Gamesmaster's crown lying in the dirt. He picked it up, brushed it off, and handed it to Donna. " _You_ defeated the Gamesmaster… _you_ deserve to rule."

Donna smiled and kindly handed it back to him. " _You_ are the one who brought this brave rebellion together. The right to _rule_ is _yours._ You can _help_ these people, K'hann."

K'hann looked back at the people he had known for so long. They bowed in respect, awaiting to hear his orders. The old Martian smiled warmly, and threw the crown away. "Then my _first order is…_ you are all _free!_ Let's go _home!_ " The crowd cheered as he turned back to Donna. "Will I ever _see you_ , again?"

"Of _course."_ Donna agreed. "You are _more than welcome_ to come to Earth with _Kara_ and I."

"I have never _been_ to my world's _sister planet_. That sounds _most_ delightful."

Later, everyone was piling into as many ships as they could squeeze into, eager to return to their own worlds. Krunk helped Kara to her spaceship, where Donna and K'hann were waiting for her. The Radonian admired Donna's new costume.

"So… does this mean you're the new _Thunder Woman?"_ She asked.

Donna looked down at her wardrobe and shrugged. " _More_ or _less."_

"Well then, Thunder Woman…" Karen smiled. "What _now?"_

"First, I shall return to Corbin for a _long awaited_ family visit. And then, it's back to _Earth_."

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Bonus Scene!**

In the city of Metropia, Ayesha Abdallah and her mother, Mariam, were down at the homeless shelter, passing out sandwiches. The girl was wearing a t-shirt that had Hyperman's symbol on the front, and the word 'Remember' on the back. She knew that a few good deeds would never fill the void he left behind, but she wanted to believe that she could inspire hope for others who needed it.

Suddenly, she heard someone crying. Ayesha put down her tray of food and followed the sound until she found the source. An old woman was crying by the river. "Excuse me?" Ayesha beckoned. "Ma'am, are you alright?"

"I… I couldn't _stand_ to see them starve… I sent them to a _better place_ …"

"Who…?" The nice girl started to grow nervous.

"Five little _puppies_."

"Puppies?!" Ayesha cried. She looked down at the bubbles rising up to the surface. She took off her jacket and dove into the water. " _I'll_ save them!" It wasn't easy fighting against the current, nor was it to dive against the crushing pressure, but she pressed on. At last, tired and almost out of breath, she grabbed the bag holding the puppies and brought them to the surface.

" _TAKE THEM! TAKE THEM!"_ She shouted in between gasps. A man grabbed the sack and started to undo the rope tied around it, while Miriam pulled her daughter to shore. The photographer pushed her way past the crowd, only to see five young siberian huskies, dead on the ground.

Ayesha sat down and hugged her knees to her chest, sobbing as her mother gently rubbed her back. The poor Muslim girl wept for the poor little dogs she had failed to save. "So _worthless_ …" She whispered to herself. "You're not like _Hyperman_ … you can't even save _one little puppy_ …"

But then, she felt something soft brush against her leg. She wiped her eyes and looked down to see a single white-furred husky puppy licking her. He was soaking wet, and shaking from the cold, but otherwise unharmed. Ayesha smiled brightly, she had managed to save one after all. She lifted the little dog and looked into his innocent little eyes, melting her heart in the process.

"You may _keep him_ if you'd like." The elderly woman said, touched by the scene.

"Oh, _thank you!_ " Ayesha laughed, hugging the dog close to her chest. " _Can_ I, mom? _Can_ I?"

"Oh… I _suppose_." Mariam agreed.

Ayesha cheered and kissed the puppy. Everyone gathered around was very touched by the beautiful scene. The girl looked back at the soggy sack with the four other drowned dogs. "I'm _sorry_ I couldn't save your brothers and sisters…" She said, softly. "But _you_ made it… you're the _last_ of your kind. _Hey…_ " It was then, that a wonderful thought came to her mind. "Just like _Hyperman_ was! So, to honor his memory, I'll name you... _Hyper!_ "

 **For all the recent angst and grief in the past few chapters, I thought I'd throw in a bit of fluff. Especially for the next chapter when Gargoyle faces the Eradicator!**


	77. The Eradicator part 1

**Chapter XXVII: The Eradicator! Part 1**

 _ **New Gotham, NJ. January 26, 2004.**_

 _Jason Castle tugged at his gloves, trying to get comfortable. As the Gargomobile sped down the streets of Gotham, the new Boy Wonder glanced over at his new guardian. Just seven months ago, Jason was sitting in a psychiatric ward, crying over the traumatic loss of his family in a violent shootout. He had been unresponsive to the doctors who tried to help him cope, but he remained unresponsive._

 _Until Matthew Wayne entered his life._

 _Matt told Jason about his own loss, and offered the boy a chance to live with him. Jarvis did his best to help make him feel at home, but it was rather difficult without Matt's presence. As Gargoyle, Matt believed that the best way to help Jason was to bring the men who killed his family to justice. But eventually, Jason grew tired of Matt blowing him off._

 _One night, while snooping around the grand mansion, he saw Jarvis come out from behind the grandfather clock in the library. With his curiosity piqued, Jason waited for the butler to leave and then crept over to the clock. He pried the clock back and found a stone staircase leading down to a massive cave filled with high-tech computers and vehicles. And then, he found Matt Wayne wearing Gargoyle's costume._

 _And so, Matthew decided to train him to fight alongside him as his side-kick, the second Dare. After such a long, trying process, Jason was fitted with his own costume and was now on his first field mission. It was meant to be a simple day of patrolling for muggers and burglars, but neither of them could predict what would happen._

 _They came across a group of four men breaking into a convenient store. The Gargomobile screeched to a halt and the Dynamic Duo lunged at the criminals. Three of the masked men rushed Gargoyle, having little success in landing a punch. While the last one was trying to grab the young boy in red and yellow._

 _Dare laughed as he gracefully dodged and maneuvered around the frustrated criminal. Suddenly, the man drew a pistol, and Jason froze with terror. The horrible memory of his father's bullet-riddled body falling on top of him flashed through his mind, as did the vivid image of his dying mother and sister. The criminal sneered as he pointed the gun directly at Jason's face._

 _Fortunately, Gargoyle saw what was happening and threw a shuriken to knock the gun away. But the gun had already fired, snapping Jason out of his trance and filling his veins with adrenaline. He screamed at the top of his lungs and darted away._

 _"Dare! Stop!" Gargoyle called out as he incapacitated the last of the criminals. Dare was listening to him as he scaled the buildings to get to the rooftops of the city. At last, he caught up with the frightened boy and hugged him tight. "Jason,_ stop!"

 _"No!" The young vigilante cried, tearfully. He tried to break free, but it was no use. "No! Let me_ go!"

 _"It's_ alright, _Jason!" Matt took off his cowl and calmly brushed the boy's hair. "I'm_ here! _I'm_ here!"

 _"No…_ please _, let me go…" Jason's tears stained Matt's chest. His anxiety attack was still flaring, and he wouldn't calm down._

 _"You can_ do _this, Jason…" Matt soothed as he continued to stroke Jason's hair. "Be_ strong _. Remember the_ mantra _I taught you. Solomon Grundy…"_

 _"B… b-b… Buh-born on a Monday…" Jason finally croaked out. "Cr… Christened on T-Tuesady… Married on Wednesday… Took ill on Thursday… Got worse on Friday…" Jason paused, reluctant to finish the last verse. "d-d-d…_ Died _on Saturday… Buried on Sunday..."_

" _That was the end… of Solomon Grundy…" Matt finished. Jason's breathing finally steadied, and he embraced his foster father. Matt patted his back and then spoke into the comm-link. "Jarvis? We're going to be home in just a few minutes…"_

"Very well, sir." _Jarvis answered._

* * *

 **New Gotham, NJ. Present Day.**

Gargoyle drove his vehicle down the hidden path that led to his headquarters and brought it to a sudden halt once inside. After following his trail for weeks, Gargoyle had finally captured Captain Projectile and turned him over to S.H.I.E.L.D. His sonar-vision helped him overpower the evil marksman, but he had taken more than a few blows, himself. He groaned in discomfort as he climbed out of the car.

"Out playing _cards_ , Mister Wayne?" Jarvis inspected his employer's wounds.

" _Something_ like that. Why do you ask?"

Jarvis plucked a razor-sharp playing card out from Gargoyle's cape, examining it with concern. "I believe tradition calls for hiding these up one's _sleeve_ , sir."

"Was that _sarcasm?"_

"Meager _teasing_ , sir. Nothing _more."_ Matt peeled off his mask and proceeded to walk towards the computer. But Jarvis stood in his way.

"Not going to let me go to _work_ , are you?" Matt sighed.

"That is _correct,_ Mister Wayne." Jarvis said, firmly. "Tonight, you shall let me _properly_ attend to your wounds, followed by a _hot dinner_ , and a _minimum_ of six hours bed rest."

"Fine." Matt scoffed. The blind vigilante strode towards the entrance of his mansion before freezing in place. By instinct, he stretched his arm out to feel the Dare costume put on display. Using muscle memory, his fingers trailed over the stitches and mends used to patch up the damage inflicted by Slaughter's torture. Matt hung his head in shame as he reminded himself of his worst failure, once again.

"Sir…" Jarvis spoke, softly. "What with how much has _changed_ in the past ten years, perhaps you would prefer that I have that _removed?"_

"No…" Matt responded before climbing up the steps. "Nothing _changes_ …"

Jarvis shook his head in sorrow. His ears perked up at the sound of Tim Lopez walking up behind him. He turned around to see the young Latino man in a new costume. "Master Lopez, how long have you _been_ there?"

"Long _enough_." Tim replied, taking off the new mask that covered his whole head. "I've been meaning to _ask;_ why does he _keep_ that old costume? Who did it _belong_ to?"

"Well, I suppose it is _long past_ time you heard this story…" Jarvis led the young man upstairs as he spoke. "That costume belonged to your _predecessor;_ Master Jason Castle. He and Mister Wayne were _exceptionally_ close. And while he would _rarely_ admit it, Mister Wayne saw both him, _and_ Mist Richard Murdock as the sons he never had. Alas, to this day, Mister Wayne is haunted by the frightened look on Master Castle's face."

"His _face?_ But, uh… didn't that happen _after_ Matt…" Tim waved his hand in front of his face, referring to Matt's blindness.

Jarvis smiled. "Don't tell him I _told you_ … but Mister Wayne couldn't help but feel rather _guilty_ for being unable to see his adopted wards. So, _once a month_ , he and I would share a pot of tea by the fireplace in the library, and I would describe to him their facial features in _explicit_ detail."

" _Really?"_ Tim never once took the scary crime-fighter, Gargoyle, as the sentimental type. He blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Do, uh… do you guys do that with _me?"_

"One secret at a _time_ , Master Lopez." Jarvis chuckled.

* * *

The next evening, in the slums of the criminal underworld, Purple Mask and Scar-Face had been suffering losses on both sides. Not only from Gargoyle, but someone else was now killing criminals instead of turning them over to the authorities. Because of this, all drug trades and organized robberies had been slashed by one-eighth of what they once were.

Purple Mask and Scar-Face agreed to meet each other to discuss a temporary truce and take down the newcomer. They met at a famous Italian restaurant in the downtown area after hours; the owner was on Mask's payroll. When the two gang members met up, they ordered their guards to wait outside and sat down at their private table.

"Killgrave…"

"Russo…"

"There's no reason to pretend that we _like_ each other to discuss why we're here-"

"There's no reason to like each other, _period,_ Scar-Face." Purple Mask cut into his lasagne as he spoke. "There's a _new guy_ on the block who ain't afraid to get his hands dirty."

"And he's _bad_ for _business_." Scar-Face nodded, enjoying the medium-rare ribeye on his plate.

"So, the question is; what are we going to _do_ about it?"

"I think one of my men can get us _Wilson's_ phone number."

"No dice. I heard a rumor he's in some _prison_ in Louisiana."

"Well, do _you_ know any _hitmen_ that could-?"

Scar-Face was cut off by the faint sound of gunfire coming from outside. The two mob bosses cautiously moved to the back exit of the restaurant. Unfortunately for them, the door exploded, knocking them both unconscious.

When they woke up, they found themselves dangling upside down over the side of New Gotham's downtown rec center. Sitting on the ledge of the building was a man dressed in black, a black helmet, a leather jacket, and a red skull painted over his shirt. He had them suspended on a hook, keeping them at eye level. "Good evening, gentlemen…" His voice was gruff and menacing. "I am the Eradicator. You may know me from the pile of _dead bodies_ that used to work for you. I'm sorry to say-"

"You're a fucking _dead man!"_ Purple Mask struggled against the restraints holding him, prompting a frustrated groan from the Eradicator. "When I get my hands on you, I'm gonna _cut your nuts off!_ Then, I'm gonna _feed 'em_ to you, and-!" Eradicator pulled a pistol out from his jacket and shot Mask in the kneecap. "AAAAAAAH! MOTHER _FUCKER!"_

"See now, when you _interrupt_ people like that, it gives them the idea that you're not _interested_ in what they have to say."

"You wanna fucking _die?!"_ Mask snarled. " There're _easier ways_ to kill yourself, y'know!"

"Yeah, like shouting at the guy holding a _glock nine_ to your head." The mystery man quipped. "Now, as I was _saying_ , I'm _sorry_ to say that you both are about to _die_. However, it's up to _you_ to determine how _quickly_ you die. We'll start with _you_ , Purple Puss. What's the name of the man in charge of your _drug cartel?"_

Purple Mask groaned in pain as blood trickled down his leg. Eradicator grabbed him by the neck and pulled him close. "I don't hear you _talking_. So I guess when I shot you in the _leg,_ I aimed a little too _high!"_ He fired the next bullet into Mask's crotch, and chuckled at his squirming. "You keep holding _out_ on me, I'm gonna have to get _real nasty_."

"We are _not_ the kind of people you _mess with,_ punk!" Scar-Face sneered.

"Did… did you just _threaten me?"_ Eradicator let go of Mask and aimed his gun at Scar-Face. "Did you not _see_ what I just did to your little _buddy?"_

Just then, a spotlight shone down on the rooftops, forcing the Eradicator to flee. The S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter landed on the rooftop, finding Purple Mask dead and Scar-Face terrified. Before they could send a squad after the culprit, Gargoyle soared over them. The Blind Knight was hot in pursuit.

As he got closer, the Eradicator spun around and fire five shots at him. Five direct hits to the chest, blocked by kevlar. If it weren't for him being used to getting shot, Matt would have stopped in his tracks. But despite the injuries, he pressed on. His assailant slipped into an abandoned chemical plant, one that he recognized instantly as he followed.

" _It's a set up! I'm not with them! They_ forced me! _Wait!" The Red Mask begged as Gargoyle got closer to him. When he pulled a pair of handcuffs out from his utility belt, the man panicked and started fiddling with his hood. "I'm not a crook, I swear!"_

 _In his hysteria, he tripped over his cloak and fell into a vat of expiremental chemicals. When Gargoyle managed to fish him out, he coughed and vomited in his mask. "Oh,_ God! _I'm burning all over!" He tugged at the mask again, trying to free himself from the cloth. "I just… I just wanna see-"_

 _Once the mask was off, he saw his reflection in a puddle. He buried his face in his palms, sobbing as Gargoyle got closer. But suddenly, the sobbing turned to laughter. He laughed maniacally as he rose to his feet. Gargoyle took him to the Asylum to seek treatment._

 _That was the day the Slaughter was born._

"Hard to _forget_ that night, huh?" Matt turned around to see his enemy standing on the second floor of the plant, aiming an AK-47 at him. "Oh, yeah. I know _all_ about this place. All in _all,_ Gargoyle, _this_ is the birthplace of your _first_ great failure. Maybe your _greatest_ … but far from your _last,_ right?"

"Who _are_ you?" Gargoyle reached for a shuriken in his belt.

"I'm the _Eradicator_. Your _replacement_." He stated. "Honestly, I'm surprised it took _this long_ for us to meet. Considering _I've_ been doing your job _for you_."

"You're _deranged_." Gargoyle snapped. "You _kill people_ without _trial_ or-"

"Oh, _save it_." Eradicator scoffed. "You want to get rid of crime with _fear_ , but what about the ones who _aren't_ afraid? _I'm_ doing what you never had the _balls_ to do; I'm _taking them out!_ And in _doing so,_ I'm creating a Gotham where _no little boy_ will _ever_ lose his family _again!"_

Gargoyle shifted in his place. The last remark sounded too personal to be a coincidence. This man had just struck a raw nerve. But _how?_

"Ah, _memories…"_ Eradicator chuckled before throwing a flash-bang on the ground. By the time his sonar-vision recovered, Matt saw his enemy had vanished.

" _Sir, are you_ alright?"

"Jarvis… we have _work_ to do."

* * *

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Captain Projectile(Bullseye/Captain Boomerang)**

 **Knightwing(Moon Knight/Nightwing)**

 **Eradicator(Punisher/Red Hood)**


	78. The Eradicator part 2

**Chapter XXVII: The Eradicator! Part 2**

 **The Cave. New Gotham, NJ.**

"This is the most _interesting_ gunshot wound I have ever treated, Mr. Wayne." Jarvis spoke as he tended the small hole in Matt's chest. If it weren't for the kevlar, the wound might have been much worse. "You said this was caused by _five direct hits_ from a single firearm? And you _rushed_ the marksman? If it's _suicide_ you're after, I have an old _family recipe_. It's _slow, painful._ You'd _like it._ "

"Alright. Time to get to _work."_ Matt sat up from the table and proceeded to his massive computer. "Call Hill." The computer's communication systems beeped twice before the call went through.

"Hello?"

"Director Hill. I require access to any and all files S.H.I.E.L.D. has on an individual named 'the Eradicator.'"

"Give me a moment…" Hill's face disappeared from the screen, replaced by numerous video footage. Every report was processed by the computer and printed in brail. The files were unbelieveable. The Eradicator had been operating in the shadows across the country for almost four years. He had wiped out every major crime syndicate on the West Coast and had just recently arrived at the East for a fresh target set.

The video footage was equally surprising. With his sonar-vision, Matt could "see" every operation caught on camera. The Eradicator used long-range firearms, short-range firearms, blunt weapons, and even improvised implements to kill his victims. According to the files, he had not only refused work as a hitman, but had killed those who tried to hire him.

Just then, one of the video feeds played back the only recording of the Eradicator taking a bullet. He had been shot in the leg while taking on a group of men defending a drug lord in Jasper, Nevada. Eradicator killed the man who shot him and slumped into a safe corner to pull the bullet out. But what made this footage stand out from the others, was that despite the gunfire and screaming being heard, Matt's advanced hearing picked up something the injured killer muttered to himself.

"Computer, pause video." The screen did as instructed. "Now, erase all background noises and voices. Amplify volume on the Eradicator's voice."

 _["Commands in process… 0% complete… 1% complete…"]_

"I take it I can't convince you to _wait here_ while the video processes so that you give yourself time to _heal_ , Mister Wayne?"

"I _can't,_ Jarvis." Gargoyle replied, rubbing his chin as he thought. "Whoever he _is_ , I think he _knows_ who I am. And I've got to _stop him_ before he does anymore harm."

"Right away?" The butler frowned. "Just so you know, the part about _suicide? That_ was sarcasm."

"Knightwing. We're leaving."

"Don't _wait up_ for us, Mr. Pennyworth." The young hero quipped as he lept into the Gargomobile.

* * *

 **Arkham Asylum. Slaughter's cell.**

Scar-Face glanced, nervously, at the four hired hitmen surrounding the table. The horrifying experience of being threatened by the Eradicator had forced him to take drastic measures. He had bribed the guards to let him get in to see his long-time rival. Slaughter simply munched on a bag of corn chips as Scar-Face spoke to him.

"Now, uh… I realize that you and I haven't had the _best_ relationship. But, I've come upon a certain… _problem_." Slaughter didn't say anything, he just kept staring as he ate his chips. "And, uh, you are _absolutely_ the best person to _handle_ this problem."

Slaughter coughed, dryly. "May I have some _water?"_

Scar-Face motioned with his hand, ordering one of his men to hand him a glass of water. The crimson-skinned murderer graciously took the glass and slipped its contents. In the blink of an eye, Slaughter shattered the glass and used it to slit one hitman's throat. Then, he stole the man's gun and killed the other three, leaving Scar-Face alive.

"Hee hee hee hee hehehehehehehe! _Ah, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!"_ Slaughter cackled. Scar-Face steadied himself, knowing that this was just his way of showing off. The Killer-Prince of Crime rubbed his chin. "I'm going to need… something to _wear_. And a _very big truck_. _"_

"You got it." Scar-Face nodded. "Anything _else?"_

"Yeah, I'll need some guys." Slaughter looked down at the men at his feet. "Not _these_ guys, 'cause, well, they're kinda _dead_ … HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Scar-Face hoped he hadn't made a mistake.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gargoyle and Knightwing were driving through the streets of New Gotham for their regular patrol, believing that if they found crime they would find the Eradicator. "So, I've been thinking…" Tim twiddled his thumbs as he spoke. "Is it _really_ a bad thing that this guy i killing criminals? I mean, I understand _due process_ is important and all, but some of these cases would put them on _death row, anyway._ So, why not-"

"Because, if you _kill_ a _killer_ , the number of killers in the world remains the _same_." Gargoyle interrupted. "We are not _judge, jury, or executioner._ We have a _code_."

"Uh… _right_." Knightwing's face flushed from the embarrassment. The Gargomobile came to a quick stop, and Gargoyle ordered Knightwing to search the East side. The acrobatic youth lept out of the vehicle, swung on a lamppost, and rushed across the rooftops. The cool night air, felt comforting as he prowled the criminal underworld.

After fifteen minutes of searching, he spotted a man trailing behind a woman. The man appeared to be focusing on the woman's purse as he got closer. Without hesitation, Knightwing landed between the two and pulled his batons out from his boots. "Ha! Whoa! _Look out!"_ He exclaimed.

"What the _hell?!"_ The man cried. "I'm tryin' ta clear my _head_ with a walk! Stay outta my _business!"_ The man walked away in the opposite direction, leaving a flabbergasted Knightwing to check on the woman. Surprisingly, she had already left without saying a word.

"Pfft, you're _welcome…_ " Tim muttered as he put his weapons away. Once he got back to the roof of the building, something vibrated inside his pocket. " _Smooth move,_ Lopez." He muttered to himself. "Leaving your _cell phone_ on." He tapped the green button and put the receiver to his ear. ("Hey, mom. Uh, yeah… no, I just got held up at work. Look I'm _sorry_ , but Mr. Wayne _really_ needed my help with this project. Don't _worry about me,_ I'll be _fine_. No, I don't think-"

Something smacked him in the back of the head. Instinctively, he rolled with the blow, put away the phone, and grabbed his batons again. Facing him with a rifle, was the Eradicator. "So, _you're_ the new guy." He chuckled. "Allow me to give you your first _lead injection."_

Knightwing knocked the gun out of his enemy's hands and advanced. The duo blocked and jabbed at each other at a violent pace. Eradicator kicked Tim in the face, forcing him to stagger back. Before he could recover, the young hero took a powerful blow to the ribs and his left knee. But refusing to give up, he elbowed his foe in the neck, and then smacked his helmet with the baton, creating a large crack.

While Eradicator was still recovering, Tim jumped into the air and rammed his elbow into his spine, forcing him to the roof. Then, he made his mistake. He tried to knock Eradicator out with a swift kick to the head, but the vigilante caught his foot, pulled him down, and stabbed his thigh with a syringe.

Tim's world became distorted. He felt sick to his stomach, his head pounded, and his heart felt as if it wouldn't beat. He wanted to throw up, but his body wouldn't respond to his brain's orders. The Eradicator stood over him and pulled out a long bowie knife. "You've got _guts,_ kid." He chuckled. "Too bad I gotta _rip 'em outta ya."_ The last thing Tim saw before blacking out was the sole of a boot colliding with his face.

On the West side of New Gotham, Gargoyle had finished tying up his latest prey and made his way back into the Gargomobile. Matt sighed in frustration. No one had any idea who the Eradicator was or where he came from. All they knew was that they were more afraid of the Eradicator than they were of Gargoyle.

 _["Sir. Video enhancement complete. Ready to view."]_ The onboard computer chirped.

"Good. Playback video feed." Gargoyle ordered. The audio echoed throughout Matt's ears, word-for-word. Matt pulled his cowl off of his head, sitting up from his seat as his eyes widened. " _Replay video. Increase volume…_ "

The computer obeyed its orders; replaying the enhanced audiofeed and letting Matt hear exactly what the man was saying as he pulled the bullet out of his leg.

 _["... Grr-uff! Sss… suh… Born on a Monday… Christened on Tuesday...Married on Wednesday… Took… MFF…! Took ill on Thursday… Got worse on Friday… Died on Saturday… Buried on Sunday…That was-"]_

"-the end… of Solomon Grundy…" Matt breathed, weakly. His entire world felt as though it were crumbling around him. His limbs felt numb, his mouth was dry, and his heart felt as if it would pound out of his chest. The only times he ever felt like this was when someone he loved was in danger. Suddenly, the comm-link reactivated.

" _This is Agent Quartermane to Director Hill. We have spotted the Eradicator in an abandoned warehouse facility. Request permission to proceed as planned."_

" _Permission granted, Quartermane. Let's_ get _this bastard."_

Matt stomped on the gas pedal of the Gargomobile, forgetting to pull his cowl back over his head. He raced down the streets of Gotham towards the warehouse district.

On the wharf, the Eradicator shoved the unconscious Knightwing into the trunk of his van and prepared to enter the driver's side. But suddenly, a the rear-view mirror was torn off of the door, and the vigilante ducked before a second bullet could hit him. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents began to gradually make their way out of the building and towards the dock. Little did they realize that Eradicator had managed to grab his rifle and was now prepared for their assault.

"All agents, move up." Quartermane ordered. The troops moved in for the kill when a metal cylinder landed at their feet. A thick cloud of smoke filled the air, blinding the agents. Gargoyle swooped down and proceeded to neutralize them. Once they were all incapacitated, the Blind Knight turned on his heels at the sound of an AK-47 being aimed at him from behind. Matt pulled off his cowl and stared at the Eradicator with glassy eyes.

"... Jason?"

The Eradicator lowered his rifle and sighed, heavily. He tapped the back of his helmet, deactivating the frequency that blocked the sound of his heartbeat. The heartbeat Matt knew better than anyone else's. The heartbeat that stopped eleven years ago.

"Y'know, I really can't _believe_ it took you _this long_ to figure it out." Jason snorted. "After all, _I'm_ supposed to be the _dumb one_. _"_

"Jason… I… I just want-" Matt stepped forward, stopping when he heard the young man aim his rifle at him again.

" _No…_ " Jason's voice cracked a bit, his arm shaking. "You don't get to _do that…_ did you… you actually _think_ that after what you _did_ to me, that you can just _show up_ and expect me to believe that you're _happy_ that I'm _alive?!"_

"I-I _am_ happy, Jason." Matt stuttered. "I _am_ happy that you're alive."

"Don't you _dare_ lie to me, you blind son of a bitch!" Jason snapped. Matt could smell the salt from his son's tears as they ran down his cheeks. "How long did it take for you to get over me?! _Huh?!_ A _month?!_ A _week?!"_

"Jason… I'm _sorry_ …" Matt's head lowered in shame, his own eyes starting to water. "I _know_ I failed you… so _kill me_ … I _deserve it_. _"_

"Oh, I'm not gonna kill _you."_ Jason said, almost chuckling. "I'm gonna kill my _replacement_. And then, I'm gonna kill _his_ replacement. Because _that's_ how it _works_ , isn't it? You _lose_ a Dare, you get a _new one?"_

"Jason, _please…_ " Matt begged. "This won't make up for what happened. Let me _help_ you…"

"It's _too late_. _"_ Jason grunted. "You _had_ your chance. And I'm _just getting started."_ He threw another flash-bang on the ground, and in an instant, he was gone.

 _["Sir?"]_ Jarvis' voice rang over the comm-link. _["Sir, are you alright? Communications failed for a moment. What happened?"]_

"Jarvis, I…" Matt choked on his own words. "I found Jason." There was a long silence. "Jarvis?"

 _["I-I'm_ sorry _, sir. Could you_ repeat _that? I must have_ misheard _you. For a moment, it sounded as if you said you_ found _Master Castle."]_

"You heard _right_. _"_

 _["My god! Is he_ alright?!" _]_

"...no. I don't think he is."

 **To Be Continued!**


	79. The Eradicator part 3

**Chapter: XXVII: The Eradicator! Part 3**

 _ **New Gotham, NJ. November 2, 2007...**_

 _Matt Wayne woke up in his bed, drenched in cold sweat. The city's district attorney rubbed his forehead, trying to make the ache in his head go away. He reached over to his nightstand, hoping that he saved enough whiskey to help him go back to sleep, only to find empty bottles. Unable to go back to sleep, he got out of bed, put on his robe, and made his way to the library._

 _He adjusted the arms on his family's grandfather clock, opening the secret hatch that led down to his cave. The musky, dusty, stench was almost too much for his enhanced senses, but he pressed on. Despite how long it had been, he remembered the path to the display case. He slid the glass back, and felt the unique leather beneath his fingertips. Even the 'J' his son had stitched under the cape._

" _Mister Wayne?" Jarvis called from the top of the staircase. "You triggered the alarm."_

" _Just remembering a_ promise…" _Matt apologized. "Never_ again… _sorry I woke you. Go back to bed."_

 _Suddenly, the telephone on the wall rang, and Jarvis answered quickly. "Hello? Yes, he's here… It's_ Saint Agnes' Cemetery, _sir."_

 _Matt took the phone and held it to his ear. "Hello…? What?_ WHAT?!"

 _In less than thirty minutes, Jarvis had driven through the pouring rain to the cemetery lot, and Matt wasted no time in kicking open the door to stumble towards the grave. Luckily, Jarvis had held him back, just as he was about to fall into the hole._

" _Mister Wayne, I-"_

" _How could this have_ happened?!" _Matt grabbed the manager by the collar and pulled him close. "Where is my son's_ casket?!"

" _I-I-I don't_ know, _sir!" He stuttered as the anger radiated from his employer._

* * *

 **Present Day...**

Tim was summing this up to be the worst day of his life. His arm was broken, he was pretty sure he was bleeding internally, and he was way past his curfew. A psychopathic murder had just taken him captive, and had spent the last half-hour beating him to death. What he didn't understand was that the Eradicator usually targeted criminals, and aside from a few late fees at the library, he hardly did anything wrong.

"As cliche as this is going to sound…" His captor began. "This is _nothing_ personal. I mean, you _seem_ like a nice kid. But, sadly, you're working with _Gargoyle…_ while wearing _my mask."_

Tim struggled against his restraints as Eradicator aimed his pistol at his forehead, his screams muffled from the gag. The former Dare closed his eyes and awaited his death. But before the trigger was pulled, a muffled buzz filled the air as he felt something vibrate in his utility belt.

Eradicator, curiously, put the gun down and pulled out the phone. "Who's _this?"_ He asked. "... uh, he's _tied up_ at the moment. Can I take a _message…?_ Alright, hang on, I'll put you on _speaker."_

Eradicator kept the gun pointed at Tim as a warning. He placed the phone in front of him and removed the gag. "H-hello?"

"Timoteo?! Where _are_ you?! Do you have _any_ idea what time it is?!"

"Mom, lo siento! Lo siento!" Eradicator was now confused on a number of levels. "I was just, uh, helping un amigo! I lost track of time!"

"That is _no_ excuse, hijo!" The woman snapped. "I thought it would be _good_ for you to take up this job with Senor Wayne, but I hardly ever get to _see you,_ Timoteo. And whenever I see you, you look so _tired…_ I'm _worried_ about you."

Tim's eyes shone from the tears he was holding back. "You… you're _right,_ mama… I'm _sorry._ But I-I _promise_ I'll make it up to you! I will _talk_ with Mr. Wayne… tomorrow, I am going to _take the day off,_ and spend the _whole day_ with you…"

"Timoteo…? Bebé, are you _alright?"_

"Yeah, I just… I _love_ you, mom. I know it's been _hard_ since dad left, but I _love_ you. And I appreciate _all_ you've done for me."

"Oh… I love you, too, Timoteo. Be careful coming home, okay?"

"Si, mama… goodnight."

The phone hung up, and the dam finally broke. Tears trickled down Knightwing's cheeks as he closed his eyes again. "You… your _mom_ is alive?" Eradicator whispered.

* * *

"Mister Wayne! Mister Wayne, _please!"_ Jarvis tried to calm his old friend, but Gargoyle's guilt forced him forward. "Matthew, you _loved_ him! He _knows_ that!"

"I was _stupid_ and _careless!"_ Matt exclaimed as he reached the computer. Typing fiercely, a digital file popped up. They called themselves the League of the Hand; an ancient cult of assassins, self-proclaimed saviors of the world from capitalist corruption. The organization that made him Gargoyle.

Supposedly, the leader of the cult had used a mystic pool that rejuvenated his body, keeping him alive for over six hundred years. But according to the legend, the pool also had the ability to bring the dead back to life. Despite the fact that he had abandoned the League due to moral differences, the leader of the cult held a great amount of respect for Matt. Was it possible that as a favor to him, they wanted to give him his son back?

Just then, the newscast came on a different screen. The Slaughter was holding Scar-Face and his men hostage on the George Washington Bridge. The Blind Knight put his cowl back on and headed for his stealth jet. If Slaughter was there, Jason would soon follow, and hopefully lead him to Tim.

Slaughter had emptied a gallon of gasoline into the truck, soaking Scar-Face and his men. "You _bastard!"_ The gangster screamed in fury. "This wasn't part of the _deal!_ Let me _out_ of here!"

"I'm a little _teapot,_ short and _stout,_ here is my _handle,_ here is my _spout!"_ Slaughter cackled as he dropped the gas can into the truck. He pulled a lighter out from his pocket, when he heard someone calling out to him. He looked up, and saw the Eradicator standing at the top of the bridge's support. "Well, well! If it isn't the _new guy!_ Y'know, I had the _same name_ as you when I started out! Except my suit was more _classy_ and _formal!_ You _kids_ today with your _helmet fixations_ and _leather fetishes!"_ Slaughter looked down at his lighter, disappointed it wasn't lit yet. "I'm sorry, can you hang on?! I was in the middle of lighting our friend on fire!"

"Go ahead!" Eradicator yelled back. "You really think I _care_ if that scum dies?! He's _served_ his purpose, and now I've got you _right_ where I _want_ you!"

That last comment made Slaughter, Scar-Face, and several policemen on the scene look up at the Eradicator with a mixture of shock and confusion. "I'm _sorry,"_ Slaughter propped a hand on his hip. "But _that_ seems to imply that _you_ orchestrated this event?"

"I _did!"_ Eradicator went on. "I just needed to leave _one_ crime boss in this hellhole alive _long enough_ for him to get so _afraid_ of me, that he would have _no choice,_ but to break into Arkham, and get you _out!"_

"Quite the elaborate _plan,_ my boy! I'm impressed!"

"What can I say?!" Eradicator shrugged, coyly. "It was _worth_ it for our reunion!"

" _Reunion?"_ Slaughter's wicked smile broadened. "Have we _met_ before?"

"Oh, _yes…_ yes, we _have."_ The vigilante clenched his fists.

"Well then, here's to _warm memories!"_ Slaughter's lighter finally ignited and he dropped it into the truck. The flames started to spread, Scar-Face and his henchman screamed in terror, and the Eradicator finally took action. Slaughter didn't have time to react before his attacker knocked him out and dragged him away to his van.

Fortunately, Gargoyle's jet swooped down, releasing a thick blanket of fire extinguishing powder that saved the criminals in the truck just in time. The Eradicator didn't waste any time in driving away.

Gargoyle followed the van through the streets of New Gotham until they came upon a warehouse by the Wharf. He had to circle around to land his jet, but he hastily rushed inside. His sonar-vision picked up three heartbeats coming from the top floor. Three. That meant Tim was still alive.

He broke down the door and found Jason sitting on the other side of the room, watching Tim breath steadily. Gargoyle focused on Jason. "I thought you were going to kill him… what _happened?"_

"Well, y'see, I've given a lot of _thought_ to the matter. And, now, I know why I _really_ hate you…" Jason's gun remained pointed at his former mentor as he stood up. "I _forgive you_ for not saving me. I _forgive you_ for replacing me with that kid. But _why…?_ Why on _God's Earth-"_ He kicked the closet door, splintering it into pieces, revealing the Slaughter, tied up in a chair. "-is _he_ still alive?!"

"Ha ha hahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Slaughter scooted out of the closet until he was right in front of Jason. " _Lighten up,_ Gargoyle!" He cackled. "Give the boy some _points!_ I mean, for _Christ's sake,_ he came all the way back from the _dead_ just to make this _shindig_ happen!So, who's got a _camera?!_ Oh! Get one of _me and the kid,_ first!Then _you_ and me. Then the _three of us._ And then, one with the _newbie._ And then-"

Jason smacked his pistol against the maniac's head, making him fall to the ground. "You're gonna be as _quiet as possible,_ or I'll put one in your _lap_ first." He threatened.

"Aw, shucks." Slaughter muttered. "You're no _fun anymore."_ The Killer-Prince of Crime fell silent as the Eradicator returned his attention to Gargoyle.

"Despite _all_ the _unspeakable_ things he's done over the years, you always just sent him back to Arkham, instead of _putting him down_ like the dog he is!" Jason growled, angrily, as he held the gun to Slaughter's head. "Ignoring the _lives_ he's _destroyed,_ the _damage_ he's _caused,_ the _graveyards_ he's _filled,_ the _friends_ he's _crippled!_ And I thought… I thought _I_ would be the _last person_ you'd ever let him hurt… I swear, if it had been _you_ he had beaten to a _bloody pulp,_ and left to _die_ in a _point-blank explosion,_ I would have done _nothing_ but search the entire _Earth_ for this pathetic pile of death-worshipping garbage! AND THEN, SEND HIM OFF TO _HELL!"_

"You don't _understand."_ Matt measured his tone. "I don't think you've _ever_ understood."

"What?!" Jason snapped. "That you're goddamn moral code just won't _allow that?!_ It's just _too hard_ to cross that line?!"

"NO! _God Almighty-!"_ Matt calmed himself. "No… it'd be too damn _easy."_ Jason's eyebrow arched at Matt's claim. Tim muffled some kind of question through his gag, wondering if he heard correctly. Even Slaughter looked surprised. "You seriously think I don't want to _kill him_ for what he's done? Not a _single day_ has gone by that I _haven't_ considered it _._ Viciously, _unrelentingly,_ making him go through _everything_ he's forced upon his victims, until he has some _semblance_ of what they felt. And then, _end him."_

"Awww, so you _do_ think about me." Slaughter teased.

"But if I _ever_ go down that path-if I _ever_ let myself go down to _his_ level-I'll _never_ be able to stop."

"Well, you're gonna have to _decide!"_ Jason took out another pistol from his jacket and tossed it at Gargoyle's feet. Then, he shattered the chair Slaughter was tied to and pulled him up to his feet, holding the gun to his head. "I am gonna blow this demented freak's _brains out!_ And if you wanna stop me, you are gonna have to _shoot me! Right in my face!"_

"This is turning out better than I hoped!" Slaughter cackled.

But Gargoyle didn't pick up the gun. He turned towards his injured apprentice and made his way over to him.

"Don't you _dare_ turn your back on me!" Jason pointed the gun back at him. " _Decide! Him_ or _me!"_

Matt's world slowed down as he heard the hammer being pulled back. In a single motion, he pulled a shuriken out from his belt and threw it into the barrel. The gun backfired, and Jason was forced to let go of Slaughter to nurse his hand.

"HA! Ha ha! You _got him!"_ Slaughter laughed, hysterically. "You _dastardly marksman!_ You _actually_ stopped him as he pulled the _trigger!_ And everybody _still loses!"_

Gargoyle kicked his oldest enemy in the head, taking him out of the fight once and for all.

* * *

 **Belle Reve Penitentiary, Louisiana. One Week Later...**

"You have _twenty minutes,_ kid." Fury told Knightwing.

The former Dare went ahead down the halls of the prison, while Matt was still trying to negotiate Jason's transfer to another prison. When he came to the correct cell, his predecessor looked up.

"I used to _look up_ to you." Tim started. "You were as much of a hero to me as _he_ was. But you almost _killed me_ out of _jealousy!_ And now… I don't know _what_ to think of you." He turned around to return to Matt.

"Y'know…" Tim stopped as Jason finally spoke. "I didn't _know_ you had a mom when I tried to kill you."

Tim turned back around to face him, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall. " _Everyone's_ got a mom."

"Yeah, I _get_ that, smartass." Jason rolled his eyes. "I meant… I thought you were just like me and _Dickie._ An orphan that Matt took _pity_ on."

Matt had just rounded the corner, wanting to speak with Jason, but paused once his hearing picked up something. Tim and Jason were… getting along? Talking about their mothers, their costumes, and Matt. Gargoyle smiled to himself, and went back to the Gargomobile.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **The League of the Hand(The Hand/League of Assassins)**


	80. The Second Legion part 1

**Chapter XXVIII: The Second Legion! Part 1**

 _ **France. September 11, 1943.**_

 _"And so, it is with much regret… and_ remorse… _that I report that Private Wallace Barnes has been declared missing in action."_

 _Captain Steve Allen, alias the Flag, rubbed his forehead as he moved away from the typewriter. He blamed himself for being too hard on Wally, believing that his condescending attitude towards him had driven him to prove himself by running off to rescue the Allied platoon that had been taken captive by Red Zoom's armada. Now the young soldier was missing, with little to no chance of returning._

 _"Hey, Flag!" Forrester Dugan ran inside his tent. "You_ gotta _come see this!"_

 _Reluctantly, Steve got up from his desk, and joined the other soldiers. Much to his surprise, the missing platoon steadily marched into the camp, lead by a battered, but unbeaten, Wallace Barnes. The teen smiled as he walked past his mentor and saluted Col. Jack Fury. "Sir! Some of these men are in need of medical attention. Other's, I believe, deserve an honorable discharge and should be sent back home. Additionally, I am fully aware that I disobeyed orders by going AWOL to rescue these men alone… as such, I am fully prepared to receive a court martial."_

 _Fury looked over at Flag. The speedster looked very impressed with what his student had accomplished on his own. "That won't be_ necessary, _Private." Fury sighed. "You heard the kid! Let's take care of these men!"_

 _Wally sighed in relief, just as he felt a strong hand squeeze his shoulder. "You did_ good, _kid." Flag praised. "How's about it, boys? Let's hear it! For_ Kid-Flag!"

 _The platoon cheered so loud, Wally could have sworn everyone around the world heard them._

* * *

 **New York, NY. Present Day.**

"Things seemed so much _simpler_ back then…" Wally sighed as he held Steve's picture in his hand. Currently, the formerly brainwashed assassin was helping his new team relocate to a low-maintenance headquarters. The fragile agreement between them and SHIELD allowed them certain privileges, but now they were on their own.

Among his new allies were Sharon West-Allen, alias Hornet; Bart Parker, alias Speedster-Man; Tod Maximoff, alias Darkstar; Oliver Barton, alias Sharpshot; and Sam Irons, alias Steel Falcon. Sharon and Bart were still taking Steve's death rather hard; aside from Wally, they had known him the best. But they were still prepared to carry on in his name.

Once their hideout was set up, Wally called a meeting to order. "So, uh…" He didn't know where to start; he was never good at making speeches. "We should take.., _roll?_ I guess…"

"Okay…" Tod rolled his eyes and raised his hand. "Darkstar, present. What next? Are you gonna give us a _report card?"_

"Hey, knock it off!" Sam ordered, softly. "Wally's having a hard enough time as it is."

"You think _he's_ having a hard time?" Tod snorted. "I'm a pansexual muta-human with pitch-black skin who controls _shadows._ The other day I tried to save a kid, and the little prick thought I was gonna _hurt_ him after I stopped his kidnappers." The dark muta crossed his arms, angrily. "Fucking _ingrates."_

"Hey, now…" Sharpshot smiled. "Chin up, kid. The folks will warm up to you in time."

"Right." Wally tried to sound confident. "Uh, does anyone _else_ have something to say?"

"Actually…" Sharon directed the group's attention to the large computer screen at the end of the room. "Before we defected from S.H.I.E.L.D., I managed to get a copy of all their current files on terrorist activities, and I think I found a lead on _H.I.D.R.A."_

An image of a young man with white hair flickered onto the screen, followed by a digital profile. "This is _Helmut Snart,_ aka _Blizzardkrieg._ Once the heir and successor of Baron Zero, he was _killed_ in battle during the _Markovia_ incident. Or so we _thought._ S.H.I.E.L.D.'s spy satellites picked up these images of Blizzardkrieg assembling his team of Renegades for H.I.D.R.A."

"What?" Wally looked shocked. Suddenly, his mind went back to the fateful day that started the Civil War between the two Legions. Zero had offered him a chance to change his past in exchange for his help. But Zero didn't need him when he had Zoom. "That _bastard."_ Wally sneered. "He _did_ it! He changed history!"

"What was that?" Sharon asked.

"Uh…" The new Flag wasn't in the mood to explain the concept of temporal alterations, so he decided to let her finish. "Sorry. Lost my train of thought. Go ahead."

"Ahem, well so far, the only one of his men he hasn't gotten in contact with is Garfield Raxton, aka _Smelter._ After his boss' supposed death, he was transferred over to an insane asylum in Maine. It's a safe bet Snart will seek to recruit him. If we go, we might be able to _catch_ Snart and have him lead us to H.I.D.R.A. and maybe…" Sharon choked up. "Maybe bring Zero to _justice_ for his role in killing the Flag."

Everyone gathered around the table felt an ache in their chest as a single tear krept past Sharon's eye. Before anyone else could react, Hornet wiped her eyes and softly sniffed. Steel Falcon prepared to get up to comfort her before she stopped him.

"No, Sam, it's _okay._ I'm _fine._ "

"Are you _sure?"_ Wally asked.

"Yes, definitely."

"Alright, then…" Flag pulled his mask over his face. "I guess we're going to _Maine."_

* * *

 **St. Augustine's Mental Health Clinic. Augusta, Maine.**

Garfield Raxton shakily made his way down the halls of the institute. Today it was his chore to distribute clean laundry to the other inmates, doing so with a forced smile. The guards and manager had taken a certain dislike to him, making him an easy target due to his criminal background.

In a different time, he would have killed everyone in the asylum and burned it to the ground. He longed to smell burned flesh, to feel soft ashes on his skin, and to hear people screaming in pain as they succumbed to the dancing flames. But without his best friend-without a cause-there was no point. How could he ever enjoy it without someone to enjoy it with him?

The former pyro was brought out of his daydream when he bumped into the warden. "Watch where you're _going,_ Raxton!"

"I'm _sorry,_ Mr. Heinz." Garfield apologized.

"You _better_ be!" Heinz snapped. "Now get back to the laundry room! There's a fresh load calling your name."

"Yes, Mr. Heinz." Garfield wheeled his way past the angry warden. Many nights, he had laid awake, dreaming of the perfect way to make Heinz scream, but it would never happen. The man formerly known as Smelter was now a caged animal. He opened the door to the laundry room and starting collecting the fresh shirts.

"Oh, how the mighty have _fallen."_ A familiar voice sent a shiver down Garfield's spine. Startled, he leaned against the wall for support as he looked at the white-haired man in purple skin-tight thermals.

"Helmut…" He breathed. " _H-Helmut…?_ No. No, I-I'm _sick._ I need _help."_ He muttered as he pounded his fist against his head.

"Of _course_ you do, Gar." Helmut chided. "That's why I'm _here;_ to _help_ you. To set you _straight."_

"Look…" Garfield snapped, irritably. "I don't have _time_ for this! Heinz wants this laundry passed out, now."

Helmut scoffed and stepped closer. "What happened to the man who never took orders from _anyone?_ I _respected_ that man."

"No…" Gar shut his eyes and shook his head. "You… you're not _real._ Helmut _died._ You're just a… a, uh… an _illumination."_

"A _hallucination?"_ Helmut corrected. When Gar nodded, the terrorist chuckled to himself in amusement. A sharp right hook knocked a tooth from Gar's mouth. Rubbing the tender area, he looked baffled as he rose back to his feet. "Did that _feel_ like a hallucination?"

"What the _hell?"_

"Raxton!" Heinz burst through the door. "I thought I tol-who are _you?_ Visiting hours are _over."_

"Wait…" Gar's eyes widened in shock. " _You_ can see him, too?"

Helmut pulled his cold-gun out from his holster and fired a stream of cold-energy at the cruel warden. Heinz's scream carried throughout the entire building. Blizzardkrieg turned back to his oldest friend. "I know this is confusing, but there's no time to explain. The guards will be here soon, and they _won't_ hold anything back. My father ordered me to bring our little group of Renegades." Gar's eyes lit up as his friend handed him a familiar gun. "So, the only question is; are you _in_ or _out?"_

The pyro grinned from ear-to-ear as he held his flame-gun in his hands once more. "Yeah, buddy…" Smelter fired at what was left of Heinz. "I'm _in."_

As the asylum succumbed to flames and frost, Wally's Legion arrived. The new Flag cursed himself for not being there sooner. But now was no time to panic. He needed to stop the chaos from spreading.

"Okay, uh… Steel Falcon, Darkstar, get in the air and see how bad the damage is!" He ordered. "Uh, Hornet, Speedster-Man, you're with me! Everyone move out!"

Unfortunately, things quickly went awry. Darkstar and Falcon crashed into each other and fell to the ground. Soon after, Speedster-Man tripped over the muta-human, sending him spiraling into the facility's sign. Instinctively, Hornet ran to check on the kid, leaving Wally alone as he ran inside before he realized the others weren't with him.

"What the f-?" Was all he could say before a multitude of solid lights struck him in the chest. Once the spots vanished from his vision, he found himself on the ground. Standing in front of him was a tall woman in a black jumpsuit and a gilded visor over her eyes.

"Rush _into_ the rainbow, _taste_ the rainbow." She chuckled. "Allow me to introduce myself; I am _Prisma."_ She tapped her fingers against her visor again, firing another beam of lights at the super-speedster.

Luckily, he managed to speed out of the way in time. Reaching behind his back, he tried to hold the shield, but it wouldn't come off. "Oh, shit!" He cursed himself, remembering the strap.

Suddenly, a man in a protective suit with a radiation logo stepped in and fired his weapon at Wally's feet. The floor began to corrode, and he fell into the basement. At that time, Darkstar popped out from the shadows and pushed Mr. Chemical and Prisma down.

"Ha!" He boasted. "How's it _taste?!"_

"Oye, mate?" Darkstar tuned to see someone's head sticking out of a mirror. "How's it going?" Before he had time to react, Laser Master grabbed onto Tod's cape and pulled him onto the laser dimension before stepping out. " _He_ won't be bothering' us for a while."

At last, Steel Falcon, Hornet, and Speedster-Man entered the burning building. They started to pursue the villains, but a wall of ice blocked their path. While Hornet went to check on Wally and Tod, Falcon started chipping away at the ice with his wings as Speedster-Man raced around the building for another path.

"You have the right to remain _silent!"_ He yelled as he fired his light-webbing at the perpetrators.

"Oh, _fuck_ no!" Smelter hollered and blasted Bart with an intense heat-wave. The young-adult hero hissed through his teeth as he tried to beat the flames out. It was nothing like the fire Blazer used; it wasn't precise or controlled, it was sporadic and much more destructive.

The terrorists made their way outside, heading towards their private jet. Blizzardkrieg wrapped his free arm around Prisma's waist. "Oh, _meine Geliebte._ You were _spectacular."_

"Ah, _mon amour,_ it gives me so much pleasure to be able to _warm_ your icy heart." Prisma cupped his face as she brought him into a passionate kiss.

"Really?" Laser Master rolled his eyes. "Right _now?"_

When they reached the jet, Climate wasted no time in firing up the engines for take-off. But before they could escape, a green beam of energy grabbed their craft. Three lasers sliced the hull apart and Mirage and Captain Hyper flew inside and pulled everyone out.

"Merde…" Prisma muttered.

 _["Please do not resist. You are being taken captive."]_ Mirage ordered.

Emerald Man used his ring to restrain the criminals just as Wally ran outside. The new Flag grumbled in frustration as he observed how well the other Legion handled the situation. Honestly, it didn't surprise him; they were organized and careful with their actions, working as a team.

"Oh, hey, Flag." Emerald Man greeted. "Thanks for _softening_ them up for us. Don't know what we would've done without you." He snarked.

Wally nodded, uninterested and went to check on his own team. Sam burst through the ceiling, waving his weapons around in preparation. Sharon carried Bart to safety just as Tod finally stumbled out of the shadow realm.

"Tod!" Sharon helped him to his feet. "Are you _okay?"_

"It was so _bright_ and _colorful…_ I _hated_ it!" The muta-human spluttered.

"Did we _win?"_ Bart asked, groggily.

"No. But _they_ did." Wally pointed at Jordan's team. "Any casualties?" Sam nodded, sadly, making his friend grumble. "Let's head back to our headquarters. Maybe we can figure out _how_ Blizzardkrieg got here."

"Listen, Wally, I hate to sound _rude,_ but I'm gonna have to _skip_ the debrief." Bart sighed, apologetically. "But I've got a dinner with my aunt and Felicity, and if I'm so much as _one second late,_ let's just say that Smelter might've _well_ just killed me."

"Fine. _Go."_ As Bart rushed back to New York, Wally rubbed his head.

" _I'm sorry, Steve. Not exactly the best Flag, so far."_ He thought to himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, on Jordan's ship, Knightwing was securing the H.I.D.R.A. agents in their temporary cells. "Congrats, Smelter." He chuckled at Raxton's expense. "You just upgraded from a _cushiony_ cell to a _cold steel_ one."

After the young-adult left, Helmut knocked on the wall. "Scudder? Are you _ready?"_

" _On it,_ boss." Laser Master slipped off his glove, turned it inside-out, and removed the device he needed. It was too small to be seen by the surveillance cameras, as Scudder used it to hack into the ship's systems. From then on, it was easy for him to use his light-bending technology to alter the video feed in Helmut's cell. "You're _good._ Make the call."

Helmut detached the heel from his boot and held it up to his mouth. ("My Baron… they're taking us to the Raft.")

("Excellent, commander.") Zero's voice came over the communicator. ("Everything is going _exactly_ as planned. Now, here is your next set of orders…"

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Helmut Snart aka Blizzardkrieg(Baron Zemo/Captain Cold)**

 **Garfield Raxton aka The Smelter(Molten Man/Firefly)**

 **Karla Bivolio aka Prisma(Moonstone/Rainbow Raider)**

 **Laser Master aka Arthur Scudder(Living Laser/Mirror Master)**

 **Climate aka Marcia Munroe(Becka Munroe/Weather Wizard)**

 **Mr. Chemical aka Curtis Desmond(Chemistro/Dr. Alchemy)**


	81. The Second Legion part 2

**Chapter XXVIII: The Second Legion! Part 2**

 **Second Legion HQ, New York, NY.**

Oliver Barton, alias Sharpshot, was not exactly pleased to be the one member of the Second Legion to be put on monitor duty. Sharon's suggestion of a rotating chores list sounded like a good idea to him up until he drew the short straw. Since the others left, he spent the previous two hours thinking back to how he got there in the first place.

A failed S.H.I.E.L.D. mission left him the sole-survivor of his group. Stranded on a deserted island, he resorted to crafting his own bow and arrows to hunt for food while he worked on building a signal fire. Once he was rescued, Director Fury was most impressed with how well he handled the situation, and offered him a spot on one of her special-ops groups. Having grown fond of the bow, he continued to use it to this day with remarkable accuracy.

His time with the special-ops unit held many exciting moments, but he had never felt more alive than the day he started working with The Flag to take down H.I.D.R.A. From that moment on, his entire life had been one exciting event after the other. He and the Flag got along well together since they first met, regarding him with the utmost respect.

Acting as the man's pallbearer was one of the hardest things he had to do.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the base's entryway. On instinct, the archer reached for his bow and aimed an arrow at the potential intruder. But he seathed the weapon when he saw Sharon and Wally in the security cameras. Moving back to the large computer, he deactivated the locks to let the group in.

"What happened?" Sharpshot asked, watching the group solemnly sulk back into the building. "Where's Bart?

"We got our _asses_ handed to us and the kid went _home."_ Tod answered, bluntly. "I'll be in my room if anyone needs me. And do me a favor; _don't_ need me."

As Tod went to bed, Sam went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Oliver sat back down at the monitor, sighing heavily at the bright screens. Meanwhile, Sharon saw the look on Wally's face as he slumped down in his seat, rubbing his forehead in exhaustion. She slowly made her way over to him, gently rubbing his shoulders.

"Steve made it look so _easy…"_ He muttered. "So did _Jordan._ They were _precise._ They were _organized._ What do _they_ know that I haven't figured out, yet?"

"Wally…" Sharon sat down next to him. "You're _trying_ too hard." The former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent soothed, carefully. "You're not Steve _or_ Jordan. You're _you._ You need to stop thinking that the reason you've taken up Steve's name is to be his carbon copy. You're doing this to _honor_ him by upholding his legacy. But you can't do it if you continue to see yourself as Flag's former sidekick."

Sharon smiled, warmly, at her friend as she walked off to her quarters, leaving the new Flag to ponder her words of wisdom.

* * *

 **The Next Day. The Raft, the Pacific Ocean.**

Momentum and Mastergirl, the H.I.D.R.A. clones of Speedster-Man and Captain Hyper, sulked as they sat in their restraints. They were meant to be the first step in Dr. Otto Grodd's cloning project; to provide expendable living weapons to H.I.D.R.A.'s cause. But when Ultriac-5 betrayed Baron Zero, and S.H.I.E.L.D. was forced to intervene, they were taken captive.

Although, they saw it as being taken as _possessions._ Once they reached S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters, they were kept heavily sedated so that they wouldn't cause any problems while they held them captive. The duo were processed by the top scientists, in an attempt to reprogram them into serving the U.N. But nothing they did could make them obey. Whether this was because of Grodd's superior technique, or because they were deliberately resisting, was yet to be determined.

At last, they found a way to control them without reprogramming their brains. Their fiery eyes fixed on the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent responsible for managing the super-prison. Agent Jacob Quartermane held a remote in the palm of his hand, dragging a folding chair in front of his audience. He sat down, and looked at the clones with a smug grin. "How's it going?"

Mastergirl just glared, while Momentum had a different reproach. "Fuck _you!"_ He snarled.

Quartermane snorted. "Nice to see you, too. Well, let's get down to business-"

"You can't _do this_ to us, you bastard!" Mastergirl snarled. "What about _due process?!_ What about our _civil rights?!"_

"Two people who were _cloned_ from _real_ human beings, with _no_ birth certificates or proper credentials don't _have_ rights. You two shouldn't even _exist_."

"We _have_ credentials!" Mastergirl snarled. "I am Kara Lohmer! _He_ is Thaddeus Kaine! We _exist!"_

" _Forged_ credentials. And I didn't say you _don't_ exist." Quartermane corrected. "But _whatever_ you are, you're now _my_ responsibility. So, here's the deal…" The prison's warden pressed down on the remote, and with a soft click, the two clones screamed in pain as powerful surges of unbearable pain flared in their necks.

"How do ya like _them_ apples, bitch?" Quartermane clicked the button again, reversing the effect. "What you just felt was a little something we've been cooking up for our project; Task Force Thunderbolt. I can, and _will,_ make the next dose _lethal_ if I need to. So, if you _disobey me,_ it's your _ass._ Got it?" The clones glared at him, angrily, not saying anything. "So, just so we're _clear."_ He smiled as he motioned to them and the remote. _"Puppets… string."_

The clones were released from their bonds and allowed to stand. Just then, an alarm echoed throughout the facility. A small armada of agents rushed to the prison's docking bay, with Quartermane close behind. Jordan's Avengers entered the Raft with their prisoners and led them to their cells.

"Commander Blizardkrieg!" Mastergirl gaped. Both she and Momentum bowed in respect.

"You _are_ alive, Herr Commander!" Momentum praised. "Hail H.I.D.R.A.!"

"Get _up!"_ Quartermane ordered, giving them another jolt. The clones snarled as the warden forced them on their way.

Meanwhile, Emerald Man finally dissipated his light constructs when the terrorists were placed in their containment cells. "Well, to the _real_ Hotel California." He snarked. "And just like you've heard; you can _check out_ anytime you like, but you can _never_ leave."

As the Avengers left to speak with Director Hill, a blonde agent made her way to the security room. "Hi, I'm Agent Smoke. I'm here to relieve you."

"Sweet." The other agent replied. "Just let me check with the supervisor and-" Before he could make the call, a sharp prick struck him in the back of his neck. He pulled out the golden dart, just in time to see his veins turning green.

"No need for that…" Golden Viper blew the carbon fumes from the barrel of her dart gun, holstered it, and pushed the deceased agent out of his chair. The deadly assassin skimmed her fingers over the keyboard of the main console. The screens flashed to life, showing her Blizardkrieg's group as they patiently waited for her move. "Now, dear cousin, let's see if your friends can _succeed_ where my Serpents _failed."_

Using her specialized gadgets given to her by her uncle, she looped the security feed so that no one else could see what she was doing. Then, at last, the cell doors opened, letting the super-terrorists roam free.

"You have your orders." Helmut started as they broke into impound to retrieve their weapons. "Laser Master, you take Chemical to the West wing and see to it that our escape plan is ready. Smelter, you and Climate go stir up some trouble in the main holding center. Prisma, meet with Golden Viper in the lab to retrieve our secondary target. _I'll_ handle the _main objective."_

After his cohorts disappeared, Blizardkrieg entered the Raft's vault of confiscated weapons. He stepped through the armory, admiring the vast collection of biohazards, time bombs, and even nuclear-based armaments. But he knew that all of that would _pale_ in comparison to what his Baron had ordered him to retrieve. He followed the directions he was given, until he came upon a heavily locked vault.

Taking out his cold gun, the specialized radiation eliminated the motion of every atom in the vault. Without the friction of the atoms, the vault's molecular structure started to drop in temperature, until it reached absolute zero. He shut off the ray, and carefully stepped towards the vault door. With the gentlest flick of his finger, the metal shattered like glass, granting him access to his target.

("Viper, Prisma.") He called into the radio. ("The alarm will go off in approximately _nine minutes._ Make your move soon.")

On another level of the prison, the clones begrudgingly followed Quartermane to the lab, needing a few jolts along the way. But before they made it to the laboratory, two females blocked their way. "Surrender the children, and you _won't_ get hurt." One of them ordered as she pointed her gem-infused fist at him.

"Commander Viper? Commander Prisma?" Mastergirl looked astonished.

"Hello, darling." Viper purred as she fired two more darts at their necks.

"Attack!" Quartermane ordered, pressing the remote's button again. But this time, nothing happened. The clones were surprised until they rubbed the area Viper had shot them.

"Congratulations, Kara and Thaddeus." Prisma crossed her arms, smiling at Quartermane. "Viper's neurotoxin has now shut down the pain receptors in your necks for the time being. But if you can _just_ help us escape from this Hell on Earth, Dr. Grodd will happily help to remove the devices, properly."

Mastergirl and Momentum shared a quick glance, followed by a sinister grin mirroring each other's lips. Quartermane tried to run, but a flash of green lightning tripped him up, and a yellow blast of energy destroyed the device. Momentum grabbed his tormentor by the collar and lifted him into the air.

"W-what do you think you're _doing?!"_ The agent choked as two opaque goggles stared into his soul.

"Something that should've been done a _long_ time ago!" Momentum answered with a wicked chuckle. He nodded at Mastergirl, and the cloned speedster rushed towards her with his captive. "There are…" He slammed Quartermane into Mastergirl's body, making him splatter everywhere. "...no _strings_ on me!"

The sinister clones laughed as they danced, happily, around the bloody corpses, celebrating their freedom. "I'm glad you're _happy,_ my friends, but we don't have time." Prisma stated, looking down at her watch. "We only have a few minutes before Jordan's Legion find us. Mastergirl, take _this."_

Mastergirl help out her hand, flinching instinctively as the needle almost pricked her skin. Looking down, she saw that it was a syringe tipped with Radonite. The clone gazed at her reflection in the viscous liquid, before her eyes shifted back to her liberators. "What is _this?"_

 _"That,_ my dear child, is what's going to ensure our victory, today." Viper grinned. "That is the modified DNA of the _beast_ that killed Hyperman."

Mastergirl didn't need any further explanation. Her eyes burned with a malevolent lust as she rolled up her sleeve, stabbed the needle into her arm, and pressed down on the plunger. After the the needle left her skin, Mastergirl tightened her grip, causing tiny shards of glass to slip through her fingers. Her teeth nearly shattered from the force of her jaw clenching them together. Her blood felt as though it were on fire, her bones felt ready to break, and her brain throbbed as if millions of needles prodded it at once.

But after the initial pain went away, her body trembled with raw strength. Reaching out, she grabbed onto the wall, digging her fingers deep into the cold, hard steel. Suddenly, the facilities escape alarm went off, startling her into ripping a large chunk of metal out. "Yes… _yes!"_ She grinned. "Now, _this_ is where the fun _really_ begins!"

The newly-enhanced clone flew through the walls, searching anxiously for a fight, much to Momentum's enjoyment. "That is _so_ hot." He murmured and raced after her. Together, they joined Blizardkrieg's team as they tore the prison apart in search of a ship.

"Hey! How'd _you_ get out?!" Tony aimed his ring at Smelter, only for a webline of light energy to pull his arm away at the last minute. Panther, Gargoyle, and Knightwing quickly entered the frenzy, going after Chemical and Laser Master. But Mr. Chemical was a split-second faster, and launched a sulfuric gas grenade at them, knocking Knightwing and Panther out cold.

Fortunately, Gargoyle had equipped himself with a specialized mask that protected him from the fumes, and proceeded to attack Chemical. Once they were isolated, the Blind Knight disarmed his opponent and beat him into submission.

"Where is he?!" He demanded. "Where is Baron Zero hiding?!"

"Y-you'll never get _anything_ out of me, you American dog!" Chemical stuttered through his mask.

"Even if you manage to get away from _me,_ you'll _never_ reach your friends in time." Gargoyle threatened. "And your stay here will be _much less pleasant."_

"Then it's… it's a _good thing_ I won't be _staying_ here." Chemical chuckled, tapping the palm of his glove with his index finger. Gargoyle recoiled in shock as cyanide gas seeped out from the cuts in his enemy's mask. "B-Baron Zero… will bring an _end_ to the archaic reign of the Socialist World Government… _Hail H.I.D.R.A."_

Matt let go of Chemical as the terrorist choked on the toxic fumes, then he went to join the others. Mirage fired concentrated energy from their ring at Mastergirl, but they had little effect on her. The android Avenger tried to shift the density of their molecules to pass through her, but Mastergirl grabbed them by the leg, and flung them against Captain Hyper, who had just entered the fight.

The Woman of Might looked on in horror as her clone charged at her, pushing her out of the prison, and into the rain. With her fists glowing brightly, Karen pounded at Mastergirl's face until her nose broke. But Mastergirl retaliated with two jabs to her rib cage and blasting her back to the surface of the prison.

Using her x-ray vision, Karen could see that Blizardkrieg and his militia had the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents defeated. Looking back, her clone was charging down from the sky, ready to ram into her. Karen flew out of the way just in time, took out her phone and dialed the only people who could turn this around.

* * *

 **Second Legion HQ.**

Tod gaze up at the top of the building where Bart was looking back down at him. "Wally, I'm _really_ not so sure about this!" The young adult stammered, nervously.

"Bart, just _calm down."_ Wally soothed. "The first step to organizing ourselves is to _trust_ each other more. If we can do _this,_ we'll be one step closer to defeating Red Zoom."

Bart swallowed hard and rubbed his neck, but the way his friend looked at him, he could see that this was something that needed to be done. With a heavy sigh, Speedster-Man marched back to the edge. "You gonna _do it?!_ You _swear?!"_

"I already _told_ you I _would!"_ Tod shouted back.

"You _know_ what'll happen if you _don't!"_

"Will you just get it _over with?!"_

Steeling his nerves, Bart pivoted on his heels, closed his eyes, and let himself fall off of the roof. It was terrifying for the young speedster to be going so fast without seeing where he was going. But at the same time, he didn't dare to open his eyes, lest he risk his accelerated vision lengthening the process.

But suddenly, he felt something gently brush against his back, and he allowed one eye to peek. Turning his head, he saw Tod's cape had caught him before he was halfway to the ground. Controlling the cape with his spells, Tod carefully set Bart down on the ground, who happily gave him a high-five.

Wally smiled as he went back inside, thinking about how well the exercises were working. As he passed through the gym, he saw Sam and Oliver talking to each other as they ran on the treadmills. A satisfied gleam sparkled in Wally's eyes as he finally reached the monitor room, where Sharon was keeping a diligent watch on the monitors.

"Nothing _exciting_ yet." She yawned. "How's the trust exercises going?"

"Great, actually. Bart and Tod are starting to get along." Wally nodded. The size-altering woman could sense the sadness hidden behind his smile, and rubbed his arm in comfort.

"Steve would've been _proud."_ She assured.

Suddenly, the phone on the control console started to ring. Both heroes looked perplexed as they had forgotten about installing a landline. At last, Sharon answered. "Hello?"

" _You have a collect call from: GUYS, HELP US!"_

The duo jumped at the sound of Karen's frightened tone. "We accept the charges!" Sharon yelled into the receiver. "Karen! What's wrong?"

" _Blizardkrieg and his goons broke free!"_ Karen sounded as if she were short of breath. _"He freed those clones of me and Bart! They're hijacking a jet! I think they came here to_ steal _something from the vault! You've gotta stop them! They've taken everything else out! You've got to-!"_

The call ended, abruptly, leaving everyone else shocked. But Wally realized what needed to be done. Reaching behind his back, he pulled his mask over his face and brandished the shield.

"Justice Legion of Avengers… _assemble."_

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Mastergirl aka Kara Lohmer(Master Man/Overgirl)**

 **Momentum aka Thaddeus Kaine(Kaine/Inertia)**

 **Task Force Thunderbolt(Thunderbolts/Squadron Sinister/Suicide Squad)**

 **Golden Viper aka Lisa Sarkissian(Madame Viper/Golden Glider)**


	82. The Second Legion part 3

**Chapter XVIII: The Second Legion! Part 3**

 **H.I.D.R.A.'s Secret Headquarters**

Baron Leonard Zemo sat confidently in his private laboratory. When he had heard from Commander Blizzardkrieg that his squad had captured the last item he needed to complete his master plan, he had spent the last few hours sewing together his new mask. The one that would protect him from the effects of Cold-X.

("Helmut?") He called into his commlink. ("How far off are you from the base?")

("Not far, my Baron.") Blizzardkrieg responded. ("We shall arrive within the hour.")

Zero chuckled. ("Once again, you have proven your loyalty to me, my son. I look forward to your arrival.")

("Then at last, we shall replenish the world, father? At last, we shall have revenge?")

("Indeed. Maintain radio silence from now on. Hail H.I.D.R.A.") With that, Zero cut the commlink and went back to his work. Everything was finally going according to plan. Thanks to the foolishness of Jordan's Legion, coupled with the deaths of the Flag and his friends, H.I.D.R.A. would be free to carry out their plans to dominate the world.

 **("Leonard…")** A voice boomed.

Instinctively, Zero grabbed his cold-gun and aimed it at the source, recognizing the sound of a voice vibrating at a high frequency. A fine stream of absolute zero grazed the shoulder of his intruder, making him grunt in pain. But before he could fire again, a black claw grabbed his throat and slammed him into the wall. Glowing, red eyes gazed into his. _("You…")_ He sneered.

 **("I thought we were** _ **friends,**_ **Leonard?")** Zoom cackled, releasing his grip. **("Especially after everything I've** _ **done**_ **for you…")**

("Why are you _here,_ Zoom?") Zero demanded. ("Our plan _worked._ The Flag is _dead._ What more do you _want?")_

 **("Someone** _ **else**_ **is the Flag.")**

("What?")

Zoom slammed his fist into the wall. **("Someone** _ **else**_ **has taken up the mantle of the Flag! When I returned to my own time, the resistance still** _ **existed**_ **in his name! Worse yet, their** _ **resolve**_ **has never been** _ **stronger!**_ **Whatever it is you're planning, you** _ **must**_ **do it** _ **immediately!")**_

("Do _not_ tell what to do!") Zero aimed his weapon at the super-swift Nazi again. ("You are on _H.I.D.R.A.'s_ property, now! _I_ am the one who gives the orders around here!")

A bolt of red lightning flew from Zoom's fingertips, striking the terrorist leader directly in the chest. It didn't kill him, but at the moment, he couldn't move a muscle. Zoom took his time in walking over to his former ally and kneeled down, lightning still flickering in his palms. **("Are you forgetting that it was** _ **I**_ **who altered the timeline, Leonard? That it was** _ **I**_ **who removed that** _ **mask**_ **from your face? That it was** _ **I**_ **who brought your beloved son and niece back from the** _ **dead?")**_

Zero didn't say anything, he just breathed, uneasily.

 **("I** _ **gave you**_ **your new life… and I can** _ **take it away**_ **just as** _ **easy.**_ **Is that what you** _ **want?")**_

("... _no.")_

 **("Good.")** Zoom smiled under his helmet and stood up. **("I can't** _ **wait**_ **to see your latest master plan, Baron Zero.")**

Just as the effects of the lightning wore off, Zero staggered to his feet. A strong gust of wind indicated that Red Zoom had rushed away from him once again. _"Scheisse!"_ He cursed.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, At S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters**

Wally paced back and forth as he listened to Tony's explanation. Being fueled by the Speed Force made it nearly impossible for him to stand still for too long, but he was still capable of listening to every word. But he didn't like what he was hearing, neither did his allies.

Once they had been incarcerated, Blizzardkrieg's men had escaped from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s custody, taken the clones, and stolen one item from the Raft's vault. When asked to see what it was they'd stolen, Jordan led him to the impound. "Out of all the weapons he could have taken, he chose to steal a container dated _August of 1943._ But _why?"_

"Because that was the most dangerous weapon in here." Wally shivered. "That was the original formula for Zero's _Cold-X."_

"Well, what good could one tiny _jar_ do him?" Tony shrugged.

 _"Tony!"_ Tim's voice sounded over the intercom. _"You and Flag better get down here!"_

The duo rushed back to the the command center where everyone else was waiting. On the screen, Baron Zero's masked face spoke to all who was listening. "This what's on every screen in America, right now." Hill told them. "Zemo's making his move."

 _"Citizens of the United States, I am Baron Zero."_ The terrorist's voice was calm and collected. _"You're country is the pinnacle of oppression in the world. You claim to welcome the weakened and weary, yet look down on those less fortunate than you. And it sickens me to say that you are but one of the Socialist countries in the so-called 'United Nations.' H.I.D.R.A. is here to end it. All of it."_

The camera panned around to view several large vats containing steaming, blue liquids.

 _"What you see here, is the weapon I first created during the second World War; Cold-X. Now, this liquid is used to harness the power of absolute zero. Anything it touches, will become as brittle as glass."_ The camera shifted again to show two H.I.D.R.A. operatives dragging a man towards a smaller vat. The man screamed as the terrorists shoved his face into the chemical. When they pulled him out, his face was caked in frost. They let him fall to the ground, where his entire head shattered to pieces.

Karen gagged and threw up her lunch. Everyone else agreed that it was a rather gruesome sight to behold. Gargoyle couldn't see what had happened, but based on what he heard, he knew it must have been horrible. The camera moved back to Zero's face.

 _"Now, this chemical is lethal. This chemical can be weaponized. And the location of all of our laboratories around the world that contain these chemical is a mystery. Now, we make this statement not as conquerors, but as liberators. Liberating you all from the plagued leaders who have led you down the path of corruption. Our first, and foremost, demand is that Private Wallace Barnes, also known as 'the Flag,' surrender himself to me. He will come to this location, alone. Once we have him in our custody, he will face the punishment for his crimes against humanity, committed under the name 'Winter Speedster.' After that, we shall make our second set of demands. But should anyone of any nation attempt to violate our demands… and we will release the Cold-X without hesitation. You have twenty-four hours to comply, Barnes…"_

The screen faded to black, and the room was dead silent. The location Zero had mentioned went unnoticed by the others, but not to someone with superspeed. Wally recognized the coordinates as Castle Von Zemo, where Cold-X was first developed. Everyone gathered looked to him for his next move.

At last, he turned to address them. "This isn't up for _debate._ It's not even a _close call._ I turn myself over to Zero, and he gives you a chance to find those labs and take them out. It's _simple."_

Sharon's heart sank. Her friend's tone was evident; he was aware of what was going to happen to him if he went through with this. And he accepted it. "No, it's not _simple!_ It's _suicide!"_ She corrected.

"This is what needs to happen." He went on. "I spent seven _decades_ hurting people as that brainwashed monster-"

"Wally, it doesn't _matter_ what you've _done."_ Tim interrupted. "It's not fair to ask you to give up your _life."_

"I've done it _before._ And my allies carried on with their mission." He pulled his mask back over his face and threw his shield to the ground, giving them one final salute. "Now, I'm trusting _you_ to do the same. It's been an _honor_ serving with you all."

The new Flag was halfway to the door when something sticky latched onto him, holding him back. "Wally!" Bart said, sternly. "I'm _not_ gonna let you do this."

Wally did his best to stifle his tired laugh. "No _offense,_ Bart… but you and _what army?"_

Turning around, the displaced soldier was momentarily stunned to see every member of both Legions and Hill standing up to face him. _"This_ army." Bart smiled, motioning to them all with his free hand. Wally saw the determination in their eyes. His voice failed him, as he couldn't find the right words.

"Listen, Red." Hill grunted with his arms crossed. "I don't _like_ you. But when you're with a _crew,_ you don't let _one guy_ take a hit for the _rest."_

Wally rubbed the back of his neck, wondering what he did to deserve such support. Finally, he understood why Steve held so much faith in this group. And so if he was to uphold the legacy of the Flag, he couldn't let them down. "Alright… so _here's_ the plan."

* * *

 **Castle Von Zemo. Salzwedel, Germany.**

("But uncle, _why_ did we have to rush our plan?") Golden Viper asked.

("Don't fret, my dear.") Zero ordered, sternly. ("I _know_ what I'm doing. In fact… I need you and Helmut's squadron to _do_ something for me.") His niece listened, carefully. ("Take the others, Professor DeVoe, Dr. Grodd, and Mastergirl… and go look for another place to set up headquarters. We'll _need_ it after we're finished here.")

("Yes, my Baron.") Viper nodded, respectfully, and left to do as instructed.

After she left, Zero sighed in relief. _"At least_ she'll _be out of danger if anything goes wrong."_ He thought to himself. He cursed Red Zoom for putting his family in this mess, but deep down, he blamed himself as well. When Zoom first brought his son and niece back to life, he should have abandoned H.I.D.R.A. and attempt to live a normal life. But his greed and ambition got in the way as always.

("Father?") Helmut's voice made the baron jump in shock. ("I just saw Lisa fly off with my squadron and Mastergirl. Is something _wrong?")_

Zero wanted to say "no," but he needed to be ready for when the Flag arrived. ("Helmut… _you_ will be the one to handle Barnes once he arrives. I entrust him in _your_ hands. Can you handle it?")

("Yes, father.") Blizzardkrieg bowed and left to fulfill his father's orders.

At the twenty-third hour mark, Zero began to worry that his bluff had been called. But just before the clock struck midnight, a flash of red, white, and blue lightning lit up the castle's entrance, and Wally Barnes stood before H.I.D.R.A.'s army.

Blizzardkrieg was the first to approach him. "Throw down your shield and get on your _knees."_ He ordered. Wally complied without hesitation, much to Helmut's disappointment. He was hoping for a fight. After picking up his shield, Helmut froze Wally's hands together behind his back, leading him to the throne room for his execution.

"You're smarter than I anticipated, herr Kid-Flag." Helmut chuckled. "You are _wise_ to know when to admit defeat. My own father taught me that lesson. Did _yours?"_

"Not exactly…" Wally smirked. "But he _did_ teach me something… maybe the most important lesson about combat."

"Which is?" Helmut paused, curiously.

"When outmatched… _cheat."_ Wally nodded his head back, breaking the terrorist's nose and forcing him to drop the shield. "Sharon, now!"

Suddenly, five figures grew from the surface of the shield, surrounding Wally to protect him. Zero, watching all of this from the security cameras, rushed to initiate the Cold-X protocol. The Justice Legion did their best to fight off the H.I.D.R.A. soldiers, but it didn't take long before they were overwhelmed.

"Oh, God… _please…"_ Speedster-Man whispered.

As if his prayers had been instantly answered, a bolt of lightning crashed through the roof, knocking the terrorists away from the Legion. An orange-skinned woman, clad in shining armor swung the hammer at the villains, giving her allies enough room to breath.

"Ho, friend Speedster-Man!" Donna greeted. "It would appear that my timing in returning to Midgard was _most fortuitous."_

"What _this?_ Nah, this is _nothing!_ But as long as you're _here,_ I guess you might as well lend a _hand."_ Donna smirked at her friend's joke. "Good to have you _back,_ Donna."

Just as he finished that sentence, someone in a green suit sped into the room and snatched Bart off of his feet. Momentum laugh maniacally as he dragged his template over the castle floor at such a high velocity. When they finally stopped, Bart was thrown into the wall, staring at his clone's sinister smile.

"Oh… this is gonna be _fun…"_ Momentum beamed.

While the others were dealing with the agents, Wally broke free from the icy restraints and rushed off to find Zero. But his pursuit was soon cut off by a thick wall of ice. The Flag turned around to see Blizzardkrieg glaring angrily at him.

"Get out of my way." He ordered.

"No, we're not _done,_ yet." Blizzardkrieg sneered as he fired again.

Speedster-Man was beginning to run out of breath once he realized that his clone truly _was_ his physical equal. The two speedsters kept running around the castle, slamming into each other, trying to knock each other's wind out. But it was no use.

" _C'mon, Bart! Think! He has to have a_ weakness _!"_ He thought to himself. Suddenly, he remembered what the scientists at S.H.I.E.L.D. had told him. The cloning process was imperfect, leaving the clone physically and mentally deformed. That meant he could, possibly, outwit his enemy.

Rushing to the top of on of the castle's towers, he surveyed the top for two pillars. His accelerated vision kicked in just as Momentum caught up. Now to put his plan into action. "You getting _tired,_ you half-baked _carbon-copy?"_ He coaxed.

"You _kidding?!"_ Momentum snarled. "I am _MOMENTUM!_ Once I start moving, _nothing_ can stop me!" The green speedster was so enraged, he failed to notice that his enemy had leapt over him when he charged.

"That's what I'm _counting on!"_ Speedster-Man fired a web from each hand that attached themselves to two pillars behind his opponent, stretching them as far as they'd go. "What happens if you start moving _down?!"_

Bart let off on the pressure holding him back, and slammed all of his weight into Momentum. The two speedsters fell off of the tower towards the ground. Bart wrapped his arms around Momentum, making sure he'd take the front of the fall.

"Oh, shit…" The clone muttered, weakly, as his head caved into the jagged rubble below.

Meanwhile, Zero was rushing towards the control room to activate the Cold-X protocol. The whole world would pay for the Legion's insolence, and then H.I.D.R.A. would pick up the pieces. But when he arrived at the control room, a familiar speedster was waiting for him.

 **("I am** _ **disappointed,**_ **Leonard.")** He shook his head. **("I asked you to do** _ **one simple thing…**_ **and you let it** _ **spiral**_ **out of control. You've failed for the** _ **last time.")**_

Zoom dug his claws into the computer and quickly zipped out of the castle. Zemo looked back at the control board; sparks and wires flailed about as a loud whine filled the air. With a somber expression, Zemo took off his mask, realizing he wouldn't get away in time.

("Hell will hold no surprises for me…")

The explosion shook the very foundation of H.I.D.R.A.'s headquarters. Blizzardkrieg and Flag were swept up by the shockwaves, throwing them several feet through the air. When they landed, Helmut looked up at the wall of fire, just as a purple mask floated down in front of him.

"What have you done to my _father?!"_ He shuddered, violently, as he faced the Flag. Tearing off his own mask, he revealed his enraged expression as he continued to fire his cold-gun at Wally. "WHAT HAVE YOU _DONE?!"_

Wally did his best to dodge the blasts, but soon, he realized they were both standing on a bridge over the vats of Cold-X. "Stop _shooting,_ you idiot!" He warned. "Can't you see where we're _standing?!"_

"I… don't… _CARE!"_ Helmut seethed, continuing to fire at the new Flag.

Just then, another explosion rocked the castle again. The bridge's supports came loose, and Wally was forced to jump to safety. But when he looked back, he saw that Helmut wasn't so lucky, as he fell, screaming, into the vat. Wally cringed at the sight of him making contact with the liquid.

As the castle finally started to collapse, Speedster-Man quickly swung around and snatched up his friend. The speedsters rushed to the airship, carrying Momentum with them. Once they were onboard, Sharpshot hit the throttle and the JLA was safely in the air.

Sharon and Bart inspected Momentum, peeling his mask off of his scarred face. Bart held his ear over his clone's mouth, listening for a breath. "Well, he's _alive._ But, I'm pretty sure he's gonna need some _serious TLC."_ He half-joked.

Wally gazed out the window, staring at the remains of the castle. "How many…?" He asked no one in particular. "How many of H.I.D.R.A.'s men were left behind?"

"No." Sharon soothed. "Don't do that to yourself, Wally. There was _nothing_ you could have done."

"Uh, guys?" Sharpshot called them to the front. "I just got word from Hill. Red Zoom just showed up in front of S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ."

The remainder of the trip was completely silent.

* * *

 **S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ.**

Eobard Schmidt paced back and forth in front of the heavily fortified military base, waiting for his guest to arrive. Now that Zemo had failed, he had to take the matter into his own hands. And with the help of the Negative Speed Force, he could kill Wallace with no consequences. At last, the new Flag stepped outside, gazing into Red Zoom's eyes.

"Herzliche Glückwünsche, Private Barnes…" He clapped, sardonically. "You managed to _extend_ the grief your mentor started. Admittedly, I _am_ impressed. I never thought you'd actually have the _nerve_ to put on that mask. So, I will give you _one chance…_ take off that mask… _forget_ about being the Flag… and I'll let you _live."_

"It all ends _here."_ Flag told him. "I'm going to bring your killing spree to an _end."_

"HA HA HA HA HA!" Zoom laughed, hysterically, and crossed his arms as he gave the Flag a look of utter contempt. "Oh, _Wallace._ If _Captain Steve Allen_ could not defeat me alone… how could _you?"_

Suddenly, thunder loudly rumbled in the sky, sending down a pillar of lightning that soon revealed an orange-skinned Corbanite. Immediately afterwards, a bleak portal of darkness opened up, and out stepped a muta-human sorcerer and an android. A flash of green streaked across the sky, carrying an archer, two martial artists, and an assassin. A man coated in winged armor landed next to Wally, followed by a younger speedster, swinging in on a solid cable of light. A Radonian crashed onto the ground, breaking the cement. And finally, a woman appeared out of nowhere, aiming her weaponized palms at the Nazi speedster.

"Because he's _not_ alone!" Hornet shouted, and the others agreed.

"You brought _friends…"_ Zoom scowled.

"This is how it _is,_ now. All thanks to _you."_ Wally smirked, confidently, as he held up his shield. "You pick a fight with _one_ of us, you pick a fight with _all_ of us."

"Very well…" Zoom cracked his knuckles and placed his pendant over his breast. "Shall we _begin?"_

The united Avengers crouched down into a defensive position, preparing for anything Red Zoom could throw at them. But once he tapped his pendant, and the dreaded red skull spread over his face, a tinge of fear struck their hearts.

 **"** _ **GRAAAAAH!"**_

The area was flooded with the painful screams of the famous heros as the negative speedster rushed them. Red Zoom had little trouble incapacitating Sharpshot and Black Cat, but the others were much more difficult. Knightwing took out both of his batons, and began hammering Zoom with a hasty barrage. But the Hispanic acrobat simply wasn't fast enough to land a single blow. Luckily, he provided enough distraction for his mentor to strike the villain with his own Zoom retaliated by grabbing Tim and throwing him back at Gargoyle, taking them out of the fight.

Next, it was Sharon and Sam's turn, backed up by Darkstar and Mirage. Sharon shrank down again, flying directly towards his suit to find a cut. In the meantime, Sam, Tod, and Silver did their best to provide a diversion for her. But with the three of them in the air, it took little effort to force them down with a controlled cyclone. As for Sharon; the high velocity was too much for her to handle, and she flew off of his suit, returning to her natural size.

"I _despise_ this…" Donna growled.

"I'm with her, Wally." Tony agreed. "We should _help_ them."

"Not yet…" Flag ordered.

Next, Speedster-Man did his best to out-maneuver his former mentor, leaving behind numerous nets of light-webs as Zoom chased him. Once he was ahead by a good amount of distance, he fired two more webs at the building, hoisting himself into the air. When Zoom jumped up after him, Speedster-Man quickly spun around and kicked him back to the ground. Bart quickly fired another pair of webs at the ground and thrust himself down, slamming his heels into Zoom's stomach.

"Now?" Tony asked, anxiously.

"Not _yet…"_ Flag repeated.

Zoom wasted no time when he recovered. He grabbed Speedster-Man by the ankles and flung him into the wall. Captain Hyper took that as her cue to charge. She swung her fists as hard as she could, not caring if the blows would kill him. This man helped Von Havoc kill her cousin, and she was willing to return the favor. But even the speed of a sun-fueled Radonian proved to be no match for someone infused with the Negative Speed Force. Zoom stepped out of her way, and flicked his finger at her rib cage. Karen fell to the ground in agony, hugging her body. Zoom picked her up by her neck, lifting her off the ground, as his arm began to vibrate.

 **"The history archives say that you live to be** _ **two hundred years old,**_ **Kara Zor-Ran."** His voice pierced her ear drums. **"It looks as if history… was** _ **wrong!"**_

"NOW!" A voice rang out.

Zoom turned around just in time to see a brilliant bolt of lightning strike him in the face. His hand slipped away from Kara as he flew through the air. Soon enough, a glowing, green baseball bat swung and hit him in the back, changing his direction. At last, a shining, white star smacked him in the face and pushed him to the ground.

Wally peeled off his mask as he kept his old enemy pinned. "You _bastard!"_ He shouted, pounding his helmet with the shield. "You killed my dad! And _all_ those good soldiers! And countless _others!_ Just to get some fucking _power!"_ The enraged speedster kept pounding at Red Zoom's helmet while the other Avengers recovered.

Wally finally stood up and stomped his left foot on the ground, making it convert into a blade. Zoom laughed weakly as he felt the cold steel against his neck. "Go ahead…" He taunted. "Slit my throat… _cut my head off…_ and prove _once and for all_ that you'll never be _anything_ but a _mindless, killing machine…"_

"Wally, stop!" Sharon called out to him.

"Don't do it!" Bart pleaded.

"No!" Wally barked in response. "He _deserves_ it! He needs to _pay_ for what he's done!"

"He _will!"_ Sharon went on. "But not like _this!"_

"C'mon, Wally! He's not _worth_ it!" Sam tried to reason with him, but Wally wouldn't have it.

"He killed _Steve!"_ Wally argued, as fresh tears stung his eyes.

"But Steve wouldn't want _this!"_ Sharon begged. "Please, Wally! Prove that you're _still_ the good man Steve always saw in you!"

Wally clenched his fists in anger at the mention of his best friend's name. Zoom was still smiling, feeling no remorse for what he had done. He was a monster who deserved to be put down. It was what Wally swore to do when he first became Kid-Flag…

But it wasn't his call to make.

"You lucky son of a _bitch!"_ He stomped again, returning his robotic leg back to normal before delivering a powerful- but non-lethal -kick to Zoom's head, rendering him unconscious. Wally collapsed to his knees, succumbing to the drowsiness that plagued his body.

Sharon and Bart rushed to hug him, congratulating him for a job well-done. Tony patted him on the shoulder, prompting him to nod in gratitude to the armored Avenger. Director Hill arrived soon enough with a platoon of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, who quickly carted the evil speedster to the Raft.

Once he finally regained his strength, Wally got back on his feet and looked up to the heavens.

"I got him for you, Steve…" He breathed. "I _got_ him…"

* * *

 **(...)**

 **(...)**

 **(...)**

In the smoldering remains of H.I.D.R.A.'s former base, the vat of Cold-X remained unscathed. A small bubble of air finally rose to the surface. Followed by another. And another. And another. At last, a gloved hand broke free from the vat and grabbed the edge.

With inhuman willpower, Helmut Snart pulled himself out of the frigid chemical and fell to the floor, gasping for breath. The same blue chemical he wallowed in was laced with his vomit, as was his own blood. He screamed in pain as his skin froze over and shattered. Fighting against the agony, Blizzardkrieg forced himself onto his feet and staggered over to what was left of the infirmary. Much to his relief, an entire bottle of painkillers was still intact. As was most of the other medical equipment he needed.

After treating his injuries, he limped over to his father's mask, studying it, meticulously. At last, he pulled the purple cloth over his face and picked up his cold-gun as he moved out of the demolished building.

"Herr Flag… enjoy your _victory…_ while… it… _lasts…"_

 **To Be Continued!**

 **HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK this chapter took a while! Hope you enjoyed it! And stay tuned for the next exciting chapter when Wally interrogates Red Zoom!**


	83. The Second Legion part 4

**Chapter XXVIII: The Second Legion! Part 4**

 **The Raft**

Wally and his friends watched with interest as Red Zoom was locked inside the specialized cell. The ageless speedster was locked inside an iron body cast, hanging upside down from the ceiling, with his arms and legs spread out as far as they'd go. Two tubes supplied oxygen through his nose, while a machine monitored his heart rate. Ten automated lasers, programmed to open fire at the first sign of unauthorized movement, were pointed directly at him. A six-inch pane of palladium-infused glass separated his cell from the rest of the prison, which was constantly monitored around the clock.

Regardless, Flag was skeptical about the Raft's capability in holding the immortal speedster. "Are you _certain_ he can't escape from this?" He asked Director Hill.

 _"Yes,_ Barnes. Relax. It's recycled from the one we used to hold _you_ for your trial." Hill answered, evenly. "With a few _upgrades._ Nothing gets _in_ or _out._ You can interrogate him anytime you _want_ while you're here."

"There's nothing we need to _know."_ Wally replied. "We already know his _motive_ and how he _did_ it. The only reason he's not on _death row_ is because he can't be _killed."_

"Still, this is your last chance for a _victory lap."_ Hill offered.

For whatever reason, Bart couldn't resist the temptation. Ever since the incident involving the Velocity symbiont, the young speedster held a strong grudge against Zoom for trying to manipulate him. But at the same time, he felt sincerely betrayed. As Dr. Richards, Zoom became something of a father-figure for Bart after the death of Uncle Jay. To discover that it was all a lie so that he could become a pawn nearly crushed his spirit. But with the help of Steve, Felicity, and Aunt Joan, he managed to move past it.

Now those emotions were rising back up to the surface. He cautiously made his way through the door, and crossed his arms as he spoke. "I don't know what your plan was, 'Dr. Richards,' but I would _never_ have joined you. Symbiont or _no_ symbiont."

"Bartholomew, you're _young."_ Zoom reasoned, calmly. "If _only_ you could see the things _I_ have seen. We are _superior_ to the lesser beings in every way. You think the _Speed Force_ is powerful, but you have _no idea_ what I possess. My dark master has provided me with _eternal youth, vastless power,_ and mastery over _time, itself._ I can still help you to understand, Bartholomew. _Join me,_ and together we can be like _gods_ to these infidels!" The Nazi's face softened. "And who knows? Over time, I might even become a _father_ to you."

"... I already _have_ a father." Bart muttered as he walked away. "His name was Jay Parker."

Despite the rejection, Zoom smiled. _"Godspeed,_ then, my student."

Bart paid no mind; he was glad that he'd never have to see the villain ever again. But as he made his way back towards the others, everything started spinning around him, and he tripped over his own foot. He was fortunate enough to extend his hands out in time to avoid hitting his face against the cold steel floor.

"Friend Bartholomew." Donna's voice was full of concern. "Dost thou feel well?"

"I'm… I'm a little _tired,_ now that you mention it." Bart replied, regaining his footing. "I think I'll head _home."_

"I will be more than _happy_ to escort you back to your household!" Donna beamed.

"Oh, Donna, you don't _have to-"_

"No, no! I _insist,_ Bart!" She tapped Mjolnir on the ground, magically transforming her into her mortal form, along with changing the hammer into an umbrella. "I have been meaning to get back in touch with Earth and its culture!"

As the young duo left, Wally decided to say a few final words to his enemy. Their eyes locked with a severe intensity, as the time-disoriented soldier crossed his arms. "I _beat_ you." He said at last.

" _Obviously."_ Zoom rolled his eyes.

"No… I mean I _beat_ you." Wally elaborated. "When I first saw you as _Kid-Flag,_ I was _terrified_ of you. You killed a lot of _good men_ during the war, then you almost killed _me,_ and then you killed the closest person I ever had to a _father._ But despite all of that… I let you _live._ I'm _not_ the mindless assassin Stalin tried to turn me into. And you get to spend the rest of your endless life knowing you were _wrong_ about me."

"Ah, yes. Of course. Bravo. Big round of applause, Wallace." Zoom snarked. "It doesn't _matter_ if you've won _this_ time. I still remain _one step ahead_ of you all. I've fabricated a contingency that will have me _back_ in the twenty-ninth century in a matter of _hours."_

"Fat chance, Zoom. You're _never_ breaking out of here."

"Oh, I'm not _going_ to break out of here, Wallace." Zoom smirked. "I'm going to _walk_ out of here."

Wally snorted, indignantly. "And how do you picture _that_ happening?"

"With _you_ releasing me from these restraints."

"Dream on."

Zoom watched, amusingly, as the Avengers left him in the cold, dark cell. _"Fools."_ He snickered.

* * *

 **Later, Manhattan, New York, NY.**

As Donna and Bart walked down the streets, the Corbinite spotted something in a souvenir shop that peaked her interest. She politely asked her friend to wait for her outside while she went inside to make her purchase. After a few minutes of patiently waiting, Bart saw Donna walk out with a coffee mug and rushed further down the sidewalk. Bart did his best to keep up, but for some reason, he was starting to feel weaker.

At last, Donna reached her destination; the first coffee shop that her friends introduced her to. Outside the entryway, a kindly old man was sweeping all unwanted dirt out of the building. "Um, sir?" She asked, cautiously. "Do you… do you have a moment?"

The man adjusted his glasses and propped himself up with his broom. "Oh, I remember you. You're that _tan_ lady that likes the lattes."

"Yes, I…" Donna handed the mug to him. "I want to give you this. To replace the one I broke."

"Oh, why _thank_ you." The old man smiled as he took the mug. "I didn't ask you to do that."

"Well, I didn't _ask_ you to ask me." Donna curtsied. "Again, I apologize for my rude behavior. And, if you can forgive me, I'd _love_ to return one day for _another_ of your delicious beverage."

With that, the Corbinite warrior left to rejoin her friend. "That was really _crash_ of you, Donna." Bart smiled.

"Is that a _compliment?"_ Donna lifted an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it's still having trouble getting off the ground." The speedster rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly. "What I _meant_ was; it was _nice_ of you."

A few minutes later, the duo arrived at Bart's apartment in Queens. "Hey, do you wanna stay for _dinner?_ My Aunt Joan's making a pot roast."

"I wouldn't want to intrude." Donna shook her hands.

"Dude, she always makes too much." Bart reasoned, dragging her inside. "You'll be doing us a _favor."_

"Very well." She conceded. "I shall help you eat this _roasted pot!"_

"Okay, but _quick warning;_ be prepared to answer a _lot_ of questions from my girlfriend."

Donna soon found out that Bart wasn't exaggerating either of his claims. Aunt Joan had cooked enough food to completely cover the dinner table. And Felicity was practically bouncing with excitement, despite her crutches, as she bombarded the poor woman with questions.

"I-I-I-I'm _sorry!"_ Felicity stammered, excitedly. "I just-I've always _wanted_ to meet a real alien from another planet! Have you ever met a Martian?! Were you really Thunder Woman's student?! Does your species hatch from eggs?! Is the _hammer_ what makes you fly?! Do you have an alien spaceship?! Do you need human sacrifices to use your magic?! Does your planet know about ours?! Are you the _new_ Thunder Woman?! Have you ever fought a xenomorph?!"

Donna rubbed her forehead as her mind tried to process the information. At last, she responded. "Yes. Yes. No. Yes. No. No. Maybe. Yes. And xenomorphs aren't _real!_ They're a _vicious stereotype!"_

"Alright, everyone." Aunt Joan finally sat down in her chair. "I think that's _everything._ Dig in."

Donna didn't hesitate; she grabbed the first thing in front of her and scooped it onto her plate. While the food was being passed around, Joan decided to ask a question of her own. "So, Donna, have given _college_ any consideration?"

"Call… ledge?" Donna tilted her head as she sounded out the word. "What is this _call-ledge?"_

"Well, sweetie, it's a school that teaches you how to maintain a career." Joan explained as she sipped her iced tea. "Bart and Felicity start in the fall."

"I'm majoring in psychology!" Felicity spoke throw her food. "Bart's a chemistry prodigy. So how about _you?_ What're _you_ good at?"

"Well, um…" Donna had trouble finding an answer. In truth, before Diana took her under her wing, Donna had not yet reached the age in which Corbinites were required to take up a labor. However, she remembered a certain passtime she enjoyed, dearly. "Are there any _call-ledges_ that can help me become a blacksmith?"

"Uh…" Everyone else at the table shared a quick. "Well, er, that is… uh, ah-heh… _maybe…"_

"Oh, that would be _wonderful!"_ Donna replied, thoughtfully. "I've always taken pride in _building_ things. More so than I enjoy _destroying._ I've crafted _many_ items in my time. But the _greatest_ piece of metal work was a _gift_ from my sister, Diana."

"You mean your _axe?"_ Bart inquired. "Whatever _happened_ to it, anyway?"

"It was _shattered_ by the Olympian, Ares." She sighed. "A pity. Stormbreaker had been a great honor since I first held it in my grasp. It even played a _pivotal role_ in saving Midgard from the Dark Elves. Do not misunderstand, Mjolnir is _amazing,_ but _Stormbreaker…"_

Felicity saw this a chance to practice her future field of study. "It sounds as if this axe held a serious _sentimental value_ to you. And that _losing_ it was almost close to the equivalent of losing a _loved one."_

The Corbinite nodded with her lips pursed. "I suppose that's _one way_ of putting it."

Suddenly, Joan choked on her drink as she gazed at her nephew. "B-Bart, sweetie? Are you _alright?"_

"Wha…?" Bart replied, groggily. "What… what do you mean?"

"Your _face!"_ Joan shuddered. "And your _nose!_ Your _nose_ is bleeding!"

Bart lightly rubbed his finger under his nose, and felt something warm trickling over his skin. Sure enough, he was losing blood. Getting up from his seat, he rushed to the bathroom to take a look in the mirror. Blue spider-web veins were branching out across his face. Suddenly his head started swimming. His heart rate sped up. And at last, he collapsed to the floor.

"Oh, my God! He's having a _seizure!"_ Felicity cried.

"Aunt Joan! Where is the nearest medical facility?!" Donna leapt into action.

"O-on the corner of _Seventh Avenue_ and _Hamilton Street!"_ Joan tearfully replied.

Donna slammed her umbrella on the floor, reverting her back to her goddess-form. Gingerly picking up her friend, she flew to the address. "We'll meet you there!" She called back.

* * *

 **Later At Queens General**

"What happened?!" Sharon was completely disturbed at the sight of her friend spasming on the bed.

"I don't know!" The Corbinite held her head in her hands. "We were just eating dinner and he fell to the ground!"

Wally felt absolutely useless. Bart was in serious pain, his life slipping away, and there was nothing he could do about it. Gazing at the elder woman kneeling beside his bed, his heart broke as he could hear her whispering prayers for him. Suddenly, a collective gasp filled the room as Bart's body became transparent.

A righteous fury swelled in Wally's chest as he deduced the source of the problem. Leaving a gust of wind behind him, the Flag rushed down the streets all the way to the Pacific Ocean until he entered the Raft. Making his way past the agents and other criminals, he stopped abruptly in front of Red Zoom's cell.

"What did you _do_ to him?!" Wally snarled, angrily.

"It's not what I've done _to_ him…" Zoom cackled. "It's what I haven't done _for_ him. If you want to save him, you _know_ what you have to do…"

Wally slammed his fist against the wall, roaring in anger as he realized the Nazi was right. He had finally caught the man who murdered his father, but if he didn't release him now, Bart would die. At last, he opened the cell. "I _hate_ you." He spat.

"And I hate _you."_ Zoom retorted. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to save my student."

A flash of red lightning blasted Wally back as Zoom rushed away. The Flag quickly regained his footing and followed him back to the hospital. When he caught up, the last thing he saw was his arch-enemy standing before the Flag's Legion and Bart's family.

 **"You…"** The Nazi grabbed Sharon by the neck and lifted her in the air. **"You're coming with** _ **me…**_ **"**

"NO!" Wally lunged at the negative speedster too late, and they disappeared.

Once the dust cleared, Zoom and Sharon were gone. But the confusion didn't last long, as the young speedster started to stabilize. The veins began to fade away and his eyelids slowly opened.

"Bart!" Felicity limped inside with Joan in hot pursuit.

"Oh, Bart! Are you alright?" Joan sobbed in relief.

"Wha… what _happened…?"_

Wally sighed heavily, not knowing what would happen next. Before he headed inside, he saw a small metal disc on the spot where Sharon had disappeared. Carefully picking it up, he walked into the room and explained everything to Bart. The aspiring chemist felt guilty, knowing he was the reason Zoom escaped.

After Joan was certain Bart was safe, she agreed to take Felicity home and come back in the morning. After she was gone, Bart invited the rest of the Legion inside. Wally, Sam, and the other apprentices huddled around his bed. Bart set the disc on his lap, studying it, meticulously. Finally, he pressed a button on the center, and the device displayed a hologram of Red Zoom's upper body.

 _"Hello, Bartholomew…"_ Zoom retracted his helmet as the hologram began. _"I'm certain that by now, you have_ many _questions."_

"What did you _do_ to me?" Bart snapped.

 _"Let me tell you a_ story…" The entire room fell silent as the speedster went on. _"As you and the rest of the Legion know, Captain Allen and Agent West have been living happily as husband and wife for the past few years. But what_ none _of you know is that when I abducted Agent West, she was approximately_ one week, two days, thirteen hours, and six minutes _into pregnancy."_

Everyone's eyes widened in both bewilderment and shock. Sam was the first to react; with his fists clenched, he angrily threatened the hologram. "I swear to God, if you've laid a _finger_ on her-!"

 _"You have_ nothing _to fear. To harm West in any way would_ contradict _my entire plan. You see, she has been taken to New York City, in the year 2154, where she will give birth two a pair of twins._ Shawn _and_ Shannon _Allen. Both twins will be raised by West, attempting to live normal lives, until they reach the age of sixteen. Shannon Allen's innate connection to the Speed Force will activate, and she will be accepted into the World Government Society of Superheroes, taking up the mantle of the Flag. Unfortunately for_ Shawn, his _connection to the Speed Force will not manifest until he is well into his_ twenties. _Nevertheless, for a brief time, he will forge his_ own _identity as the Speed-Marine. That is, until he becomes disillusioned and gives it up."_

Wally didn't know what to make of all this. Why did Zoom kidnap Sharon and her unborn children and take them to the future? And how did any of it connect to Bart? While his mind struggled to solve this enigma, the hologram continued with the story.

 _"That's not to say Shawn Allen is a_ complete _failure. He was a decorated marine for nearly_ ten years _before being honorably discharged. And shortly after returning to the United States, he will meet the love of his life. And one month into their marriage, they will conceive a child. But alas, calamity would strike the Allen bloodline once again, as I steal Allen's beloved from him, bend her to my will, and take the child to the twenty-_ first _century where two of my agents_ would _have been tasked to raise him to one day serve me…_ if _they hadn't been accused of being foreign spies and_ executed."

"Will you get to the _point?!"_ Bart demanded. "Why are you telling me all of this?! What does Flag's kids have to do with _me?!"_

 _"My_ apologies, _Bartholomew."_ Zoom chuckled. _"You have to understand, to_ me _all of this has already_ happened. _Time travel can be a bit_ tiresome, _even for_ me. _But I digress. The agents I tasked with raising Shawn Allen's son… were_ Richard and Marian Parker."

The young speedster felt as if his entire world was collapsing all around him after Zoom dropped the bombshell. His friends didn't know what to say, they just tried their best to comfort him as he breathed, uneasily. "My… m-my… my parents worked for _you…?_ I-I-I'm… the Flag's… _grandson…?_ B-but then… why did you keep me _alive?"_

 _"Because, you are_ my _legacy, as well. Your_ father's _name was Shawn Allen…"_ Zoom's smile grew darker. _"Your_ mother's _name was Meloni Schmidt. My_ daughter."

"... no…" Bart whimpered as fresh tears stung his eyes. "No, that can't be…you're… you're n-not… you're _not my-!"_

 _"I'm afraid I_ am, _Bartholomew."_ Zoom pressed on. _"My blood flows through your veins just as much as_ herr Flag's. That _is why I was so interested in helping you reach your full potential. A daughter would_ never _be a proper heir to my empire. But her_ son? _I'm not giving up on making you my apprentice, Bartholomew._ _Auf Wiedersehen."_

Red Zoom bowed as the hologram faded away. Bart finally dropped the device to the floor, letting it shatter to pieces upon impact. The young adult hugged his knees close to his chest, sobbing loudly as his closest friends held him in a tight embrace.

"Bart…" Tim was the first to speak up. "We're _here_ for you, man."

"We will do _whatever_ we can to help you understand this." Donna added.

"Are… are you gonna be _okay?"_ Karen stuttered.

"I don't know… I just… I don't know…" Bart whimpered.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Betcha only the hardcore DC Comics fans saw** _ **THAT**_ **coming! Bart Parker is from the future! Stay tuned for the next chapter, where we travel to the year 2199 and see how Shawn and Shannon have grown up!**

 **Shannon Allen aka the Flag(Dawn Allen/Shannon Carter)**

 **Shawn Allen aka Speed-Marine(Don Allen/Miguel O'Hara)**

 **Meloni Schmidt(Meloni Thawne/Synthia Schmidt)**


	84. Fast Forward part 1

**Chapter XXIX: Fast Forward! Part 1**

 _As the couple laid on the car's hood, gazing up at the stars, their favorite song played over the radio._

" _~Everybody wants you!~"_

" _~Everybody wants your love!~"_

" _~I'd just like to make you mine all night!~"_

" _~Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, now!~"_

" _~Baby, give it up!~"_

 _She kissed his neck, softly, reminiscing their first date at the disco-themed nightclub. She was being harassed by a couple of the patrons, and he would have stepped in to help her, had she not unleashed the most beautiful display of violence he'd ever seen. Perhaps it was because she used the bottle he'd been drinking out of as a weapon, but she offered to buy him a new drink._

 _But to her surprise, he offered to buy_ her _a drink, instead. After a brief introduction, and a few martinis later, the DJ played_ "Give It Up" _by K.C. and the Sunshine Band. Both expressed it as their favorite song to dance to. The duo dominated the dance floor, went out for dinner afterwards, and eventually took it back to his apartment._

" _~Everybody sees you!~"_

" _~Everybody looks and stares!~"_

" _~I'd just like to make you mine, all mine!~"_

 _Now it had been almost an entire year since that night, and the couple were living happily together. But it wasn't enough for him. He was a traditional kind of man when it came to relationships; one of the few things he had in common with his father._

 _She propped herself up on her elbows, perplexed by the look in his eyes. "What?" She giggled._

 _He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a five-carat diamond resting on a platinum band. His smile widened as she cupped her hands over her mouth, repressing her tears of joy._

 _"Really…?" She whispered. He nodded and slipped the ring over her finger. But as she admired the jewelry, a guilty feeling crept over her heart. "Are you_ sure? _Even though-?"_

 _"I_ told _you, I don't_ care _about that." He assured her, brushing her cheek. "You're not_ him. _You're_ you. _You're the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with."_

 _She felt a bit more relieved at his reassurance, only to chuckle. "I can't believe I'm gonna marry the_ Speed-Marine." _She pulled him into a loving kiss, taking a picture with her phone. A polaroid slid out from the side, dated May 12, 2189. She place the captured moment in her pocket and hugged him again. "I love you, Shawn Allen."_

 _"I love_ you, _Meloni Schmidt."_

* * *

 **New York City, NY. July 4, 2199**

 _BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

Shawn grumpily turned off his alarm clock, not wanting to get out of bed. Usually, he wouldn't wake up so early on a Saturday, but he made a promise. With all of his effort, he forced himself out of bed and walked towards the bathroom. He picked up his cell phone, taping a few keys on the screen to activate the radio.

Upbeat music quietly filled the air as he turned on the hot water of his shower. It took a while to warm up, but in a matter of minutes, the water was trickling over his skin. The music ended by the time he stepped out to dry off. When he opened up his dresser, a bright diamond twinkled from the overhead light. He allowed a tear to run down his cheek as he was reminded of his greatest failure. It wasn't until he proceeded with dressing himself that he noticed the radio was still on.

 _["In other news, today marks the_ eighth year anniversary _of the last known sighting of New York's own superhero; the Speed-Marine. "]_ Shawn's ears perked up at this. Finishing the adjustment of his belt, he sat down on his bed and turned up the volume on his radio. _["After his departure from the vigilante business, crime rates have steadily increased. While the World Government Society of Superheroes has made generous donations to police forces across the country, many citizens believe it is not enough."]_

Shawn groaned at the mention of his sister's organization. The WGSS meant well, he knew that, but they were always stretched so thin that they could hardly do any good for those who needed their help the most. It was the reason he went against the Superhuman Registration Act as Speed-Marine and refused to join them.

 _["When asked how they felt about Speed-Marine's sudden disappearance, these New Yorkers had_ this _to say…"]_

 _["I'm_ glad _he's gone! Seriously, get out of the way and let the cops do their job!"]_

 _["I think maybe he was doing it in the first place to protest against the Superhuman Registration Act. It's disrespectful."]_

 _["Honestly, I don't even think he was that great. He was basically a rip-off of the Flag."]_

The former marine massaged his temples as the criticism carried on. Little did that woman realize that she had touched a raw nerve at the mention of Shawn's sister. When they turned sixteen, he was so proud that Shannon's Speed Force powers finally activated. But not long after that, the two of them grew distant; what with Shannon determined to take her father's place as the Flag.

The next thing he knew, Shannon enlisted herself into the Society and fulfilled her dream of being a hero. But at the expense of being too busy to see her family again. When Shawn's mind snapped back to reality, he grabbed the picture frame and slammed it down in frustration. He was about to turn the radio off and head out the door when...

 _["Are you seriously saying he was a_ bad guy?" _]_ A younger woman's voice came over the sound waves. _["Speed-Marine_ saved me _from a burning building when I was just a kid. He was there for us when none of those supers that are owned by the government were. If I could say anything to him, right now, I'd say… please, come back. We_ need _you."]_

Shawn couldn't stand it anymore. He turned off the radio and made his way out the door to the floral shop.

* * *

 _ **London, England. July 6, 2191**_

 _Shannon Allen solemnly strode through the Hall of Justice. Not even her teammate, Gargoyle could cheer her up at the moment. Just a few months ago, she had been ordered to bring in the Speed-Marine to answer for going against the Registration Act. After tracking him for days, she managed to overpower him. Eventually, she rpedip off his mask and got a good look at his face._

 _The realization that she had beaten her own brother into submission rocked her to her soul. She was so caught off-guard, she couldn't defend herself when he retaliated. She knew that every punch he threw at her was fueled by a deep-seated resentment for her. In her absence, her brother had grown bitter and angry, and she deserved every second of it._

 _"Hey, Flag? You okay? You're not even listening."_

 _"Huh?" Shannon shook her head, trying to brush away the cobwebs. "Oh, sorry, Reilly. I just… got something on my mind."_

 _"Wanna talk about it?" The Blind Knight offered._

 _She sighed, heavily. "It's… about my_ brother. _A while ago, he… he_ called me, _asking for an important favor. He said he was_ counting _on me. And… I never showed up." Her head hung in shame. "And now, he_ hates _me."_

 _"Whoa, whoa! 'Hate's' a_ strong word, _girl." Gargoyle consoled. "Maybe he's just…_ disappointed. _I mean, when was the last time you had a meaningful, face-to-face talk with him? A couple weeks? A few months?"_

 _"Fifteen years."_

 _"Oh,_ wow. _Fifteen years…"_

 _Just then, an electronic voice came over the intercom._ ["Flag. Gargoyle. Please report to the main hall."]

 _When the duo arrived, they were greeted by the other figureheads of the Society: Dreamer, a British agent specializing in sleeping gas; Jiu-jitsu, an expert in martial arts and long range weapons; Thunder Girl, the latest wielder of Mjolnir; and Motherboard, the 'child' of the Avenger Mirage._

["Greetings, Flag."] _The android greeted._

 _"Shannon…?" Jiu-jitsu started, easily. "How are you healing from your encounter with Speed-Marine?"_

 _"My shoulder's still a little sore." She emphasized by rotating her arm and groaning. "Other than that, I'm fine. Why?"_

 _Thunder Girl set a box down on the table and slowly dumped out its contents. The first items were two silver bands. When the goddess tapped a button on the side, a glowing shield materialized out of thin air. She set the bands aside and pulled out the next item; a red and blue suit with a white star on the chest and lightning bolts running up the sleeves. At last, only a red military helmet with a white star on the front was left._

 _"Oh, my G-God…" Shannon's eyes widened at the sight of the uniform. "Val, wh-where did you guys_ find _this?"_

 _"It was in a_ dumpster _in New York." Dreamer replied. "I didn't see any_ cuts _or_ blood stains, _though."_

 _The group studied the tattered costume with perplexed looks. Many of them had attempted to bring Speed-Marine in for going against the Registration Act, but it was always in vain. Not only that, but he had taken down countless super-villains in his career. A feeling of dread flushed through Shannon's body, thinking that someone finally managed to end her twin. But with the lack of any signs of a struggle, it didn't appear that he had been killed in action._

 _This caused Jiu-jitsu to come to only one conclusion. "He must've… given up."_

 _"I will pay you a_ hundred pounds _if you let me hang that up in my room, brah." Dreamer snickered. "That bastard broke my bloody nose last time we went up against him."_

* * *

 **Sister Margaret's Home for Retired Veterans. New York, NY.**

"And here, I thought I was going to have to celebrate your father's birthday by myself…" An elderly Sharon West-Allen smiled at her only son as he sat down beside her. But regardless of his own smile, she could see the sadness in Shawn's eyes. "What is it?"

"It's been a _year_ since Meloni was declared legally dead…" He sighed. "There's just… there was no _evidence_ that Zoom's goons _killed_ her after they took her. Sometimes…" He nearly choked on his words. "Sometimes I wonder if I'd _stayed_ as Speed-Marine, I could've _found_ her by now."

Sharon couldn't stand to see her children in any pain. "There was nothing you could do, Shawn. You did _everything in your power_ to find her. That's _no reason_ to force yourself into risking your life on a daily basis."

Shawn rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortably. "It's _more_ than that… I mean, _sure,_ a lot of people hated me, but I still _helped_ people. Am I letting them _down_ so I can, selfishly, focus on _myself?"_

"You shouldn't _think_ like that, sweetie…" Sharon rubbed his arm, softly. "You _chose_ to stop being Speed-Marine… you didn't owe this world _anything…_ you _never_ did… you _did_ your fair share of good deeds. I only hope I didn't make you think you _had_ to become a marine because of your father and I…"

"You _didn't."_ Shawn promised. "I enlisted on my _own_ accord. But knowing that the marines is where you started out _encouraged me_ to do my best."

Just then, the door to Sharon's room cracked open. Shawn's mouth fell open at the sight of the blonde military woman.

"Hey, guys…" Shannon waved, sheepishly.

* * *

 **Glasgow, Italy.**

In a private ski resort, Prof. Jameson Lance was handcuffed to a chair and gagged by a piece of duct tape. On of the armed thugs that was guarding the resort approached him with a glass of water. "I hope you understand, Professor Lance, that we have been given direct orders _not_ to harm you. Our employer is _very_ interested in your work."

The henchman ripped off the duct tape and allowed his captive a sip. Once the man's thirst was quenched, he tried to reason with them. "Look, there must be some _mistake._ I'm a university _lecturer._ I have no money."

"Oh, no. Our employer doesn't want your _money._ He wants your-"

The henchman was cut off by a loud knock at the door. Lance saw the confused look on their faces, meaning that they weren't expecting someone so soon. Three of the armed thugs cautiously moved towards the entrance, and one of them carefully opened the door.

Suddenly, a group of U.N. soldiers burst through, gunning down all of the hired henchmen. Lance flinched in fear with every shot fired, counting himself lucky he hadn't been hit, yet. When the dust finally cleared, one soldier approached the startled teacher and pulled down his mask.

"Hello, Prof. Lance. I'm Colonel Jeven Ognats." He greeted. "We're here to take you _home."_

But just as they started working on the professor's restraints, another knock came at the door. Startled at first, Colonel Ognats ordered his men to set up a perimeter around the entryway. The group kept their rifles trained on the source of the knock while their commander slowly reached for the doorknob.

In the blink of an eye, something sliced through the U.N. operatives, and they all slumped to the ground. Lance's eyes widened in shock; standing before him was a middle-aged woman with prosthetic legs, dressed in a black suit with a red swastika over her breasts. Her eyes flickered with red energy as she grinned at the petrified teacher.

She opened the door and bowed, respectfully. ("Welcome, good doctor.")

 _[("Thank you, Meloni…)]_ A robotic being stepped into the room, patting the woman on the head and admiring the electronic headband she wore. The robot stood over seven feet tall, with a holographic projection comprised of binary coding for a head. He kneeled down before Lance and removed his restraints. _[("I_ apologize _for the inconvenience, Professor. But I simply_ had _to meet you. I am Dr. Arnim DeVoe… and I have a_ proposition _for you…")]_

 **To Be Continued!**

 **World Government Society of Superheroes(Avengers Next/Legion of Superheroes)**

 **Dreamer aka Jack Dodds(Union Jack/Sandman)**

 **Gargoyle Beyond aka Reilly McGinnis(Darkdevil/Batman Beyond)**

 **Jiu-jitsu aka Val Cross(Freebooter/Karate Kid)**

 **Thunder Girl aka Cassie Masterson(Kevin Masterson/Cassie Sandsmark)**

 **Motherboard(Mainframe/Brainiac 5)**

 **Arnim DeVoe(Arnim Zola/The Thinker)**


	85. Fast Forward part 2

**Chapter XXIX: Fast Forward! Part 2***

 _ **New York City, NY. June 27, 2170.**_

 _Sharon West-Allen was dutifully tidying up her house, preparing for the most important day of her life. The cake was in the oven, the streamers were set up, and the presents were placed on the dinner table. At any minute, the school bus would roll down the street and her beloved twin children would receive a surprise birthday party._

 _"Oh, Steve…" She sighed, sadly. "If only you could be here."_

 _Unfortunately, she was in for a big surprise of her own. The back door was unlocked, and someone made their way inside. He heard the older woman in the other room as he entered the kitchen, and grabbed a steak knife to strike._

 _Meanwhile, Midtown High's most famous siblings got off at their bus stop, ready to be home for the weekend. Shawn and Shannon Allen, the "Tornado Twins," were relatively popular around their neighborhood. Being the fabled children of the original Flag earned them special attention from the era's superhero community, even going so far as to help their mother adjust to the new time._

 _The duo had just returned from another successful roller derby game, thanks to their prowess and tactical planning, they were that much closer to the state championship. All of their friends continued to cheer them on as the bus rolled away._

 _"Holy_ shock, _that was crash!" Shawn shouted. "And that was_ Marrison! _The_ best _team in the East Coast! I can't believe we_ won!"

 _"Won? We beat the_ crap _out of them!" Shannon agreed. "Together,_ nobody _can beat us!"_

 _"Tornado twins for life?" Shawn held out his hand, and Shannon eagerly shook it._

 _"Tornado twins for life." She promised._

 _After the rounded the street corner, Shannon saw something out of the corner of her eye that made her shudder. Someone was in the house with their mother, sneaking up on her with a knife in his hand. Apparently, Shawn saw it too because he was the first to call out to her. The twins started running as fast as they could to the house, fearful that they wouldn't make it in time._

 _But just as all seemed lost, Shannon's legs started moving more quickly along the pavement. He heart pounded in her chest from the sudden burst of adrenaline, as lightning flared through her veins and she darted towards the house even faster now. She slammed her shoulder into the interloper, knocking him through the glass door and into the backyard._

 _Sharon yelped in shock at the sudden ordeal. Once Shawn finally caught up, he was relieved to see that his mother was safe as he hugged her, tightly. But then, they both turned their attention to Shannon. The teenage girl looked equally surprised as she looked at how her clothing smoked from the friction._

 _"Shannon… how'd you_ do _that?" Shawn said, at last._

 _"I… I dunno." She answered. "I just…_ ran."

 _"You have_ speed…" _Sharon breathed, excitedly. "My daughter has_ speed."

 _Shannon looked down at her hands, feeling the power coursing through her body. The realization hit her like a truck; she had her father's powers. "Oh,_ hell _yeah…" She grinned._

* * *

 **St. Margaret's Home for Retired Veterans. New York City, NY. July 4, 2199.**

"H-hi, guys…" Shannon waved, shakily.

Shawn couldn't believe his eyes. Eight years after their epic fight, his twin sister finally showed her face. Every fiber in his body was telling him to attack her; to make her pay for practically abandoning her own family. But he couldn't do it in front of their mother.

"Shannon…? Shannon, sweetheart, is that you?" Sharon tried to get up from her seat, but the strain proved to be too severe. "Ah!" She groaned.

"Mom!" Shawn gently urged her to stay seated as he hurried into her kitchen and came back with a medicine container and a glass of water. "You're supposed to take these in the _morning,_ mom."

Sharon muttered, angrily. "I used to be an _astonishing superhero_ with the ability to _shrink down_ to the size of a _hornet._ And now, I'm having fuss with _this."_ She pushed the pills around on her coffee table. "Just _look_ at this mess. A pill for my _kidneys._ A pill for my _stomach ulcers._ A pill for my _pituitary gland._ A pill for my _bad knee._ I don't even remember what _this one_ is for…"

"Blood pressure, mom." Shawn clarified.

 _"That's_ it." Sharon nodded and popped the bitter capsule into her mouth. "So, are we going out for steaks or not?"

"Just a minute, mom." Shawn promised. "I, uh… I need to have a _chat_ with Shannon in private."

"Shawn, don't-" Sharon pleaded.

"We're just gonna _talk…"_ He assured his mother as he pushed Shannon out the door.

An awkward silence filled the hallway as soon as the door clicked shut. Shannon felt as if she were a child about to be disciplined as her only brother crossed his arms and glared at her. At last, she spoke up. "Look, I know-oof!" Only to be cut off by a punch so strong, she fell to the ground with a grunt.

"I _deserved_ that." She admitted. Once she stood up, her brother punched her again. She growled as she fell to the cold floor once again, but she kept a level head. "Okay… I deserved _that,_ too…"

Time slowed to a crawl as Shawn threw another punch. Shannon groaned in annoyance; she knew it had been a long time since she spoke with her family, but this was ridiculous. She stepped out of the way and crouched down into a defensive stance, ready for Shawn to catch up with her. But to her confusion, he was still moving in slow-motion as his punch made him fall to the ground. She returned her body to its natural speed and yelled in frustration. "Okay, you're pushing your _luck,_ Shawn!"

The former superhero grunted and rubbed his tender flesh. Picking himself up, he noticed his hands were starting to shake. With his back turned to his confused sister, he reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a syringe, and injected the fluid into his arm. A soft sigh escaped his lips as a wave of relief washed over him.

Shannon was horrified. In one swift motion, she snatched the syringe out of his hand and looked down at it with disgust. "What the hell is _this?! Acid?! LSD?!_ You're a _cop_ for God's sake! You _know_ this stuff is _bad news!"_

Shawn rolled his eyes. "Okay, _first of all;_ Acid _is_ LSD. _Second;_ you don't take it through a _needle._ And _third;_ it's none of your _business,_ so give it back!"

"No! I want to know what it is!" She held the needle away from him, pushing him back with her free hand.

"Just give it back!" He tried to push himself past her, but she had inherited their father's strength as well as his speed. "This is _juvenile,_ Shannon!"

"Then just tell me what it is!"

When her brother finally stopped struggling, Shannon let her arm down. Shawn took a deep breath and elaborated. "You remember that speed drug that was going around the streets a few years ago?" The new Flag nodded. "Well, we managed to synthesize an _antidote_ down at the precinct. But it turns out it also works as a… neutralizer for _natural speedsters."_ Shawn rubbed his arm as he looked down at the floor. "I've been using it to _block_ my connection to the Speed Force."

"What…?" Shannon gasped. "W-why would you _do_ that?"

"So that I'm never _tempted_ to go swinging around in _tights_ again."

Shannon could not believe her ears. "You gave up you power so you could be _normal?"_

Shawn's glare hardened. "I gave up my power so I could be _myself!"_ He stormed over to his sister and poked her chest as he spoke. "And who the _hell_ are _you_ to talk down to _me?!_ You don't _care!"_

"What?!" Shannon felt hurt. "Shawn, that's not true! You're my _brother!"_

"Oh, _yeah?!"_ He snapped. "If you _care_ , where _were_ you when mom got _sick?!_ Where were you for the past _twenty-eight birthdays?!_ Where were you when my _pregnant wife_ got _kidnapped_ by…" His voice cracked as tears stung his eyes. "By her evil, son-of-a-bitch father?!"

"You… you got _married?"_ Shannon stuttered, fearfully. How much of her brother had she missed out on? "H-how could I have not known that?"

"Oh, let's _see…"_ Shawn tapped his finger on his chin, sarcastically. "You never answer my _calls,_ you never return my _emails,_ you don't _write,_ you don't _text,_ you don't _visit!_ I sent you a damn _invitation_ for the wedding! But I can tell you where you were _then!_ You were off playing _superhero!"_ By now, both twins were starting to cry. "And don't give me any _bullshit_ about it all being about _responsibility_ or _doing what's right!_ This is an _obsession,_ Shannon! I _never_ understood why you were so desperate to please a man we never even _met…_ and neither did _mom."_

The marine looked for a bench, having grown tired from the drug starting to kick in. He buried his face into his hands, not wanting anyone to see him so vulnerable. Shannon finally found the courage to sit down next to him. Rubbing his back for comfort, she let her own tears roll down her cheeks. "Is that _really_ what you think of me? Because I _do_ have a life outside of being the Flag."

Shawn snorted. "Yeah? Like what?"

"Mom?" A voice came from down the hallway, prompting the twins to look for its source. A young adult in jeans and a t-shirt ran towards them, with a broad smile spread over her lips. "Are we gonna see Grandma, now?"

Shannon wiped her eyes and smiled back at the girl. "Sweetie, _this_ is you Uncle Shawn."

Shawn did his best to keep a straight face, but he couldn't help himself. He never guessed that his sister ever took breaks from being the Flag long enough to have children, and yet here his niece was. And she was mirroring his confused expression. "Hi…" She squeaked, meekly. "I'm Jenni."

Shawn was bemused, but smiled, regardless. "Nice to meet you. How _old_ are you?"

"I'm _sixteen."_

"Sixteen." Shawn nodded, sadly. He was supposed to have a child of his own, once. But fate had other plans. He noticed she was staring at the inside of his jacket; his holster was showing. "It's okay, I'm a _cop."_ He chuckled.

"Jenni, why don't you go say 'hi' to Grandma? I'll be in there in a minute." Shannon coaxed her daughter, who happily obliged.

"You have a husband, too?" Shawn asked, his anger diminishing.

 _"Ex."_ Shannon clarified. "It's hard to be a full-time superhero _and_ have dinner on the table on time."

This time, Shawn was angry at this mystery man. While he was still mad at his sister, he didn't think she deserved to be treated as an object. "Who is he? Somebody I know?"

"Uh, _yeah,_ actually." Shannon's eyes roamed the hall as she rubbed her neck. "A friend from _high school._ Jeven Ognats."

"Jeven Ognats?" Shawn rubbed his chin as he tried to remember. "Wait, there were _two_ Jevens in high school. What was your nickname for _him?_ Was he _'Hot_ Jeven,' or _'Headgear_ Jeven?'"

Shannon paused for a moment. "They're _both_ hot."

 _"Headgear_ Jeven!" Shawn burst out laughing, enticing a low chuckle and a soft punch from Shannon. "You got _knocked up_ by Headgear Jeven!"

"C'mon, man!" Shannon giggled. "That was _years_ ago! He works for the U.N., now! And what about _you?!_ Given the amount of girls you were chasing in high school, you never struck me as someone to _settle down."_

"I know, I _know."_ Shawn admitted. "I mean, I didn't really _believe_ in love, y'know? I mean, mutual benefits? Sex? _That,_ I understood. But _actual, romantic, true love?"_ He chuckled at the thought. "I figured it was on the same page as _U.F.O.'s._ A lot of _believers,_ not a lot of _proof…_ but that all _changed_ when I met Meloni."

"And why's _that?"_ Shannon sounded genuinely interested.

"I… I don't really _know."_ Shawn blushed. "She was _different_ from all the other women I've been with in the past. She was _kind,_ and _caring,_ and _loving,_ and never did _anything_ to hurt me… and she made me feel like I wasn't a walking _embarrassment."_

"What do you mean?"

"How many times did I screw up as Speed-Marine? The people of this city had plenty of reasons to _hate my guts,_ and I just _took_ it."

"Hey, being a superhero isn't all _glamour._ I know _I've_ had some humiliating moments in my career."

 _The Flag rushed through the streets of Washington, D.C., happily patrolling for crime as an official member of the Society. Suddenly, she came upon a man breaking into a car. She practically squealed with delight as she leapt into action. She didn't want to hurt the perp too seriously, so rather than using her father's shield, she simply slammed his head against the window. "That'll teach_ you, _thief." She smirked, proudly._

 _"What the_ hell, _you crazy bitch?!" The man yelled over the car alarm, nursing his bruise. "This is_ my car! _I locked my keys inside!"_

 _"Oh, geez!" Shannon cupped her hands over her mouth. "I-I-I'm so_ sorry! _Are you okay-?"_

 _"Hey, dipshit! Turn that alarm off!" The surrounding apartment tenants began to get annoyed by the loud alarm._

 _"It's not_ my _fault! It's_ hers!"

 _"What?! Aren't you supposed to be_ helping?!"

 _"I'm sorry! I thought-!"_

 _"Yeah, well, you thought_ wrong!"

 _"Look, I just-"_

" _For the love of_ God, _shut it off, already!"_

 _"Quit screaming! There's people sleeping in here!"_

 _"Just turn the damn alarm off!"_

 _"Don't make me come_ down _there!"_

 _"Nick! Is that_ you?!"

 _"Brianna! Good to see you! How's your family?"_

Shawn's muffled laughter brought Shannon out of her memory. "Yeah, _yeah."_ She smiled and rolled her eyes. "Okay, enough catching up for now. Let's not keep mom and Jenni _waiting."_

"Yeah, that's probably a _good idea."_ Shawn agreed as they stood up from the bench. "Mom wants _steaks,_ is that crash with you?"

"Eh, that works. But I'll have to stop for a _snack_ later." She replied. "Y'know… Speed Force metabolism."

* * *

 **Meanwhile, At an Unknown Location...**

 _["Now, I understand that you may be a bit uncomfortable with my contacting you like this…"]_ DeVoe apologized as Meloni held the holographic projector in front of their client. _["But I need you to_ listen _to what I have to say…."]_

The man ordered his guards to lay down their weapons and leave the room. "My father warned me that you'd approach me. But I wasn't expecting _her_ to be here."

 _["And he told_ me _that you had your_ own _plan against this country. But even_ you _can see that it is_ faltering. _As for Meloni, fear not, she's_ fine."] _DeVoe promised. ["But she won't even_ remember _this conversation_ or _being under my command."]_

"She ran off with an _Allen."_ He spat. "I have _no love_ for her."

 _["Right. Well then, now that_ that's _out of the way, let's get down to_ business. _When I first joined your father and Baron Zero in 1939,_ they _gave me the power I needed to transform my consciousness into_ living data. _Because despite their arguments, one thing they could always_ agree on _was that_ I _was smart enough to help H.I.D.R.A. achieve its goal of liberating this world of its_ true problems. _And after_ two hundred years, _I have finally found a way."]_

"... I'm _listening_." President Thaddeus Schmidt leaned back in his seat of the oval office as the sinister scientist went on.

 **To Be Continued!**


	86. Fast Forward part 3

**Chapter XXIX: Fast Forward! Part 3**

 _ **London, England. April 5, 2160.**_

 _S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current board of directors were sitting around a large, round table, discussing the future of the world's superhuman population. Director Youssef Ali ben Gabba and his two trusted lieutenants, Agents James Smith and William Coulson, searched through the data files of all known superhumans and muta-humans to see which ones would be suitable candidates for the World Government Society of Superheroes. At the time, the only member they had available on hand was the "child" of the JLA member Mirage._

 _But as they continued to monitor the data, their secretary's voice suddenly came over the intercom._ ["Sir! Director, I'm sorry! She just barged in here! I tried to stop her, but-"]

 _The voice was cut off when a woman in her late thirties flung the door open so forcefully, the glass shattered. Sharon West-Allen stormed over to the assembled agents with an angered expression, and set a damaged camera on the table. "What the hell is_ this?" _She hissed. "I told you to leave us alone!"_

 _"Mrs. West, we were just-" Coulson tried to reason with her, but he was soon interrupted._

 _"They are_ children!" _Sharon barked. "They don't deserve to have their privacy invaded by the likes of you!"_

 _Smith snorted. "Oh, Sharon. If only you could protect your_ Captain _with such ferocity."_

 _Sharon paused for a moment, resting her arms on the table as a low chuckle escaped her lips. In one swift motion, she grabbed Smith's head and slammed it onto the table. The others backed away as she proceeded to punch him in the face as soon as he recovered._

 _"She broke my nose!" Smith groaned. "That crazy bitch broke my fucking nose!"_

 _"You mention my husband,_ again… _" Sharon threatened. "And I'll_ show you _ferocity."_

 _"M-Mrs. West, please, calm down." Director ben Gabba soothed. "You have to understand, your children are the prodigy of_ Captain Steve Allen. _They could carry on his legacy-"_

 _"They deserve a chance to_ choose!" _Sharon snapped. "And they'll choose when they're_ ready."

 _"And when will_ that _be?" Smith grumbled as he pinched his nose. "When they're at_ driving age? _When they're at_ drinking age?"

 _"When they're_ ready!" _Sharon slammed her fist on the table, startling the trio. "They are only_ five years old. _Almost_ six. _They deserve a chance to have normal lives before being dragged into a war that_ kills _them… but I swear, if you pull this stunt again, you_ will _regret it."_

 _With that, Sharon confidently marched out of the building without another word. Agent Smith was still furious about his broken nose, and more so about his bruised ego. "She just_ threatened _us!" He growled. "I say we lock her up and take the kids into our custody_ now!"

 _"Are you kidding me?" Agent Coulson argued. "She was in the right._ We _violated our agreement with her."_

 _"Bullocks to the agreement!" Smith barked. "Why did we even try reasoning with her in the first place? We're the_ World Government! _What is_ she _gonna do?"_

 _"She just kicked your ass at_ full size, _Jim." Youssef snorted, indignantly. "Do you, seriously, want to find out what it's like when you_ can't _see her coming?"_ _The Director paused, waiting for Smith to argue further. Thankfully, he never did. "So, for now, we do as she says; let Shawn and Shannon_ grow _into their heritage. We've_ all _read her files from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s archives. Sharon West-Allen is only a threat to us if we_ make _her one."_

* * *

 **New York, NY. July 4, 2199.**

For this first time in what felt like years, Sharon felt truly happy. Her children were starting to talk again, her granddaughter was happily telling her about high school, and they were all celebrating her late husband's birthday together, in peace. In truth, it had been traumatizing to be kidnapped by her husband's killer and sent over one hundred years into the future. The only thing that kept her from breaking under the pressure was knowing she had a responsibility to her children.

As the family got closer to the retirement home, Shannon noticed that someone was missing. "Shawn?" She looked around the area for any trace of her brother. "Shawn?"

The former marine had drifted off a while ago when they came upon Memorial Road. He gazed at the tall statue of the deceased trio of Avengers with a wistful look in his eyes. "Uh, _hey,_ dad…" He said, meekly. "I-uh-I know I haven't been around to _see_ you in a while. This statue really does you justice." A nervous chuckle escaped his lips before he sighed, heavily. "Look, dad… I'm _sorry_ I didn't get my powers the same time Shannon did, but I like to think that I've done _some good_ by joining the marines. I hope I've made you proud."

"What was that about pleasing someone we never met?" A smug voice startled Shawn, making him turn around to face his sister.

"Shannon! I was just, uh… I was, uh, trying to _clear my head_ and I, uh…"

Shannon didn't say anything. She simply walked over to her twin and wrapped her arms around him, tightly. "Of _course_ he'd be proud of you. I know _mom_ is. And so am _I."_

Shawn smiled, softly, and returned the embrace. "Oh, Shannon… you always _did_ know when I needed a hug."

Unfortunately, the tender moment was interrupted by something buzzing in Shannon's pocket. "Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh?" Shawn looked up at her, nervously. "What do you mean, 'uh-oh?'"

"Okay, just _hold on!"_ Shannon hugged her twin even harder, now. "Emergency teleportation in progress!"

"Emergency _what?!"_ Shawn shouted in confusion as a tunnel of light shot down from the sky. He screamed at the top of his lungs as he and his twin flew up into the upper atmosphere, only to be shot down to the planet's surface. The next thing he knew, he was standing in a pristine, white building owned by the World Government. The son of the Flag clenched his stomach as he lost his lunch.

"You get used to it." His sister promised. Taking off her coat, she reached behind her and removed her father's shield. Tapping the star emblem on the center, her suit popped out of the secret compartment, and she quickly changed. Soon enough, the rest of the Society gathered at the table. Shannon insisted that Shawn wait in another room, while he could still view them on a monitor.

"So, mind telling me what's so important, you pulled me away from my dad's birthday?"

"Well, sorry, Flag, but this can't be _ignored."_ Dreamer apologized.

 _["Who is the secondary individual who has accompanied through the boom tube?"]_ Motherboard inquiered.

"My brother." Flag answered. "Don't worry, I sent him to the waiting room."

"Oh, so you two finally made up?" Gargoyle sounded pleased.

"Eh… it's a work in _progress."_ She shrugged. "Anyway, about this mission?"

"Your country's _'pristine'_ president, Thaddeus Schmidt has finally slipped up." Jiu-jitsu answered. The martial-arts master typed in the necessary data into the built-in keyboard on his side of the table. Even Shawn could see the information they were viewing from his room's monitor. Right now, though, all he saw was the face of the Alt-Right candidate he voted against two years ago.

"As you all know, we've suspected that Thaddeus Schmidt was connected to _Eobard Schmidt,_ better known as the _Red Zoom."_ Everyone cringed. It was no secret that everyone feared the Flag's arch-nemesis. "But given that Zoom was _allegedly_ born in the thirtieth century, we had no way of knowing for certain. Until _last night…"_

Shawn grew more interested as the screen switched to video feed. Thaddeus was loitering in a dark parking lot, as if he were waiting for someone. At last, a black, panel van rolled up to an open spot, and six armed thugs stepped out to greet him, along with the driver. No audio was available, but they were able to zoom in on their faces. The president admired the suitcase his friend had handcuffed to his wrist. But when it appeared that Schmidt wasn't willing to pay their price, they all aimed their weapons at him. And yet, the shady president remained calm.

He raised his hand into the air, and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, a woman in a a black, skin-tight suit rushed in. Her legs converted into razor-sharp blades as she swiftly cut the dealers down to size. As the leader's hand flew into the air, she cut the chain connected to the case, and graciously handed it to Schmidt.

Shawn's eyes shrunk from fear as he caught a glimpse at the woman's face. It couldn't be true. It was impossible. But the she was there. "M-Meloni…?" The video feed ended and the Society voted that Flag be sent after Schmidt.

"Shawn?" Shannon entered the room. "I'm getting ready to leave, do you need a lift _home,_ or-?"

"Shannon!" Shawn gripped her shoulders, firmly. "Shannon, that-that _woman!_ She's _Meloni!_ She's my _wife!"_

"What?" His sister looked at him as if he had grown a second head. "What are you talking about?"

"That woman in the video! Sh-she's being _mind-controlled_ or something! There's _no way_ she'd do something like this! You've gotta take me _with_ you!"

"Shawn, I can't just-"

"Please! Shannon I'm _begging_ you! _Please!_ I already failed her _once,_ this is my chance to finally _save_ her!"

"I… I'm _sorry,_ Shawn. But I can't jeopardize this mission…" As Shannon walked away, Shawn knitted his eyebrows in frustration.

"Alright. _Fine._ But before I do this, just remember; I gave you a chance." He told her.

"What are you-" When Shannon turned around, her heart skipped a beat. "No… you _promised_ you'd never-" Her brother's lips began to tremble, making her worry. "Shawn, I'm _warning_ you!" But he didn't listen; his eyes grew misty. "Don't you _dare!"_ A single tear slide down his cheek, making the Flag sob. "No…" She pulled him into a tight embrace, wordlessly agreeing to bring him with her.

"Works _every_ time…" Shawn smiled to himself.

* * *

 **En route to America**

"You are _so_ paying me back for this!" Shannon yelled over the crashing waves under her feet as she carried her brother back to the States.

"I'll write you a _check!"_ He yelled back. "So, what's the situation?"

"The Society believes that Schmidt is working with _someone else."_ Shannon explained. "We've been tracing all of his digital footprints. He spent a lot of time sending some kind of messages to private satellites. He was last spotted in a _church_ outside of New York's city limits."

"Hmm…" Shawn thought to himself. "Satellites? Someone _else?_ Meloni? What's the connection?"

"So, anyway, what makes you think your girlfriend isn't doing this by her own free will?"

"Okay, _first of all;_ she's my _wife,_ not my girlfriend." Shawn crossed his arms. "And secondly, I didn't see any _lightning_ when she ran, so she's obviously not connected to either of the Speed Forces. That means it's the _speed drug,_ and _she_ was the one who funded the campaign to get it off the streets when I was just a _beat cop._ And _third;_ I saw that _headband_ she was wearing. It looks very similar to the tech H.I.D.R.A. used to control Hyperman, Thunder Woman, and dad."

"So you think Schmidt is working for H.I.D.R.A.?"

"I don't know _who_ he's working for. All I care about is _saving Meloni."_

"... alright. But once we get there, you are _strictly surveillance detail,_ got it?"

"Whatever you say, Cap."

Flag dropped her brother off at a motel across the street from the church, gave him a laptop connected to a camera in her jacket, then changed into her street clothes. She made her way inside just in time for the early sermon. Unfortunately, what her intel hadn't told her was that it was a _hate church._ After ten minutes of sitting through racial slurs and angry rants about evolution, Shannon didn't spot Thaddeus, anywhere. She decided to leave.

But before she made it out the door, something twitched inside her brain. Her pulse started to flare as her anger levels began to increase. In no time at all, everyone inside the church were attacking each other. Shawn was terrified as he witnesses his sister tear through so many people so quickly. "Flag, what're you doing?!" He called out to her, but she didn't answer. "Shannon! Shannon, what the _hell_ is going on?!"

This went on for what felt like an eternity. Every hateful person in the building was punching, cutting, strangling, and in a few cases, shooting each other. Being a police officer, Shawn wanted to barge in there and stop the carnage, but he was too shocked to think straight. At last, Shannon was the last person standing.

Flag's mind began to clear after she sliced the last assailant open with her shield. As she gazed at the bodies, a strong feeling of dread washed over her. Exhaustion was starting to quick in as her knees wobbled and her breaths grew heavy. Slowly trudging her way to the door, she dropped her weapon and walked outside.

Where DeVoe, Thaddeus, and Meloni were waiting for her. _["Beautiful… isn't it?"]_

"What did you _do_ to me?" Shannon gasped, still winded from the event. "I had no _control._ I _wanted_ to kill those people."

 _["After Ultriac's invasion in 2017, I was forced into hiding."]_ DeVoe explained. _["Luckily, I was able to digitally copy all data containing his mind-control system and spent the last_ century and a half perfecting it _. It's how I've gotten_ Meloni _to be so tentative. Isn't that_ right, _my dear?"]_

Meloni didn't say anything, much to Shawn's frustration. Even when viewing from the monitor, he could see the pain in her eyes. He turned his attention back to Shannon, who tried to steady herself. _["You see, H.I.D.R.A.'s goal has always been to save the world from itself. But unless the world population_ decreases, _there'll be_ no resources left _for anyone."]_

"So… so _that's_ what the satellites are for." She surmised. "They transmit some kind of signal that bends them to your will, giving you the opportunity to kill them all off, except your _friends."_

 _["Do you know what this is…?"]_ Devoe's holographic face smiled. _["This is just like those_ old, romanticized comic books _based on your father. You've discovered the mastermind behind this plot, and he's just told you his master plan. Now, if I remember the rest of the formula,_ correctly, _this is the part where I shall devise some sort of_ absurd _and_ convoluted _method of terminating you. And then, once my back is turned, you shall devise an_ equally _absurd and_ _convoluted way to_ escape."]

"Sounds good to _me."_ Shannon quipped, still trying to catch her breath.

 _["Well, unfortunately, this is_ not _a comic book."]_ Devoe pointed his finger at the Flag's head, firing a bullet at her.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Shawn's agonized cry echoed throughout the motel. Just as Shannon fell to the ground, Shawn dropped to his knees, tearfully.

DeVoe stood over Shannon's body, removing the camera from her jacket and looking into it. _["Now… I_ know _you are watching this, Speed-Marine. I know_ who _you are, and what you've been_ doing _all these years. And I know what you_ long for… _"]_ DeVoe snapped his robotic fingers, beckoning Meloni to come towards him. He grabbed her by the neck and held her close. _["With the Flag gone,_ you _are the only person fast enough to stop me. Well, aside from your speed-drugged_ wife, _but thanks to my mind control device, she couldn't hurt a_ fly. _So, here is my proposal; you will come to my headquarters in Jasonberg, New York City… you will_ die _by my hands… or I'll peel the_ flesh _of of her_ bones. _Your choice."]_

The screen flickered and shut off, leaving the room silent. Shawn was still crying over his sister's death, but his mind was starting to process the other information. Something flickered inside of his heart, as if his pulse was creating a spark. As his mind continued to clear, his hands stopped shaking, his senses focused, and he could feel the electric power running through his veins once more. Clenching his fists, he vibrated every molecule in his body, draining what was left of the speed antidote out of his system.

Meloni was alive. And right now, she needed him.

The rest of the WGSS was gathered in the main hall, trying to decide what to do. They had been monitoring the Flag's mission through the same camera, and they heard everything. "Why are we even _discussing_ this?" Gargoyle slammed his fist against the table. "We _know_ where he is! What he's _planning!_ We can't just sit by and-and do _nothing!_ Not after what he did to Flag!"

"We'd never make it in time." Jiu-jitsu reasoned. "He was _right._ With Flag… _gone, Speed-Marine_ is the only person fast enough to get to him in time."

"It's _my_ fault…" Dreamer admitted. _"I_ was the one who started that campaign against him, and now _he's_ the only one who can stop this lunatic on time. Truth is, I was just _jealous_ of him. He was everything _I_ wasn't. He was-"

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept around the room. Dreamer, Gargoyle, and Jiu-jitsu stumbled from the strong force, while Motherboard noticed the missing suit that once hung on the wall. Dreamer quickly grew furious as he read the note that was left in its place.

 _"Needed this back! Thanks for keeping it warm for me! Sincerely, the Spectacular Speed-Marine!"_

"He's a _thief!"_ He snarled as he tore the note to shreds. The other heroes, however, smiled in a mixture of relief and humor. "He took my suit! Just _wait 'til_ I get my hands on him! I! WANT! SPEED-MARINE!"

Meanwhile, Shawn raced across the United Kingdom at a fantastic rate. As he put his old costume on, he accidentally tripped over a rock. When he finally stopped spinning, he stood up on the shore and adjusted the suit, properly. Before taking off again, he stretched his legs and arms.

"Like riding a _bike."_ He told himself as he put on his mask and helmet.

 **To Be Continued!**


	87. Fast Forward part 4

**Chapter XXIX: Fast Forward! Part 4**

 _ **New York City, NY. November 17, 2190.**_

 _After a long day of patrol, the only thing officer Shawn Allen wanted was a hot shower. Or some quality time with his wife. Or both at the same time. As he walked into the lobby of his apartment complex, he bumped into an unfamiliar face struggling to fit a few heavy boxes into the elevator. "Need a hand?" He offered._

 _"Oh, yes, please!" She smiled, brightly, showing off the skin graft on her left cheek. The policeman tried not to stare, but that didn't stop him from noticing. "Don't worry; I'm not ashamed of it. I see it as a_ memento _of the time Speed-Marine saved my life."_

 _Shawn smiled, slightly, at the comment. Not because it boosted his ego, but because he felt that people shouldn't be defined by appearances. As he continued to help with her belongings, she told him the story of how she was caught in a house fire when she was twelve, and Speed-Marine saved her just in time. He chuckled a bit at the idea of what she'd say if she knew her savior was standing before her, just now._

 _"Thanks for the help." She waved him off when they reached her floor. "Officer…?"_

 _"Allen. Ms…?"_

 _"Parker._ Joanne _Parker."_

 _Shawn tipped his hat before heading up to his own room. The second his key touched the lock, the door swung open and a beautiful brunette wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a deep kiss. "That's a hell of a hello." He grinned. "What's got you so happy?"_

 _"I've been feeling a little_ off, _lately." Meloni bit her bottom lip, coyly. "So, I went to the doctor's today, and…" She cupped his ear with her palm, whispering the rest of her secret. Once she pulled away, his eyes went wide and his jaw slack. He dropped his keys and coat to the floor and leaned against the wall for support._

 _"Y-you… you're_ really…? _I mean, we've been_ trying _for a_ long time… _are you_ sure? _Like,_ really _sure?" She nodded, happily. As her own smile grew wider, her husband mirrored her. "I'm gonna be a_ dad… _I'm gonna be a DAD!"_

 _By now, the secret superhero was literally bouncing off the walls from sheer joy. At one point, he took Meloni into his arms and spun a hammock of light webs for them to share. "~Do you know I want a baby?~" He sang, softly._

 _"I_ figured _you'd say something like that." She nuzzled his neck. "Baby makes_ three."

* * *

 **New York, NY. July 5, 2199. Midnight.**

For the first time in eight years, Shawn Allen found himself running at high velocity. When he reached his destination, he checked everything over one last time. His gauntlets had enough power to generate Speed Force shields if needed, as well as his secret weapon against Meloni, and the speed antidote was safely tucked away in its compartment.

Taking a deep breath, he walked inside the building. As he went further down the hall, he began searching for an audio system for his device to hack into. Suddenly, the floor began to tremble, and the facility lifted into the air.

 _["Naturally, we wouldn't want to be too close when the_ chaos _begins, would we?"]_ DeVoe's voice echoed across the halls. Shawn persevered, in spite of the obvious trap. _["Why do you waste your time, Officer Allen? You should be_ thanking _me. Everyone who ever_ persecuted _you will soon be dead. You think they'll finally recognize you as a hero_ now? _Because you're going to_ stop _us? Well, I'm afraid you're being a tad bit_ too _optimistic."]_

"I'm just here for my _wife,_ DeVoe!" Shawn bellowed as he entered the control deck. "Show her to me!"

 _["As you wish. Meloni,_ kill _him."]_ A black pane of glass slide back from the upper deck, revealing DeVoe, Thaddeus, and Meloni. The hypnotized woman leapt down and glared at her husband. But before she could make a move, a low beeping noise caught her attention.

Speed-Marine's gauntlet finally hacked into the airship's audio system. His fingers skimmed over the buttons until he found what he was looking for. He tapped the play button, and watched as Meloni's ears perked up in confusion at the melodious tune. Regardless, the headband compelled her to proceed with her attack. But instead of fighting back, Speed-Marine dodged her blows in an elegant manner. Eventually, he grabbed ahold of her hands and guided her through the motions.

 _["What is this foolishness?"]_ DeVoe asked no one in particular. And then, Shawn started to sing along.

 _"~Everybody wants you!~"_

 _"~Everybody wants your love!~"_

 _"~I'd just like to make you mine all night!~"_

A faint memory started to overpower the influence of the headband. A memory of her and Shawn dancing together in the greatest disco club in town. In no time at all, memory became instinct, and she happily danced alongside her lover.

 _"~Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, now!~"_

 _"~Baby give it up!~"_

While the music distracted his wife, Shawn fumbled with the compartment in his belt, reaching for the speed antidote. Unfortunately, this didn't go unnoticed by Thaddeus, who had now donned a mechanical suit of armor. A laser blast from his glove's palm knocked the syringe out of Shawn's grasp, where it rolled out of sight.

"Damn slut!" Thaddeus cursed as he increased the power of the headband's signal. "Stop playing with that freak! _Kill him!"_

Meloni suddenly snapped back to her hypnotic trance and charged at the superhero. As he narrowly dodged her razor-sharp legs, someone else stumbled upon the antidote and picked it up. Shawn did his best, but he couldn't afford to hurt the only woman he ever loved. Eventually, he ended up on his back, and Meloni charged again.

Time slowed down for the son of the Flag. Meloni was now directly above him, with her bladed heels aimed at his chest. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone jumping towards her with the speed antidote. At last, Shannon plunged the needle into Meloni's arm, ripped the headband off of her, and left the woman to fall into Shawn's arms. Thankfully, he managed to cushion her fall.

"How was _that_ for an entrance?" Shannon crossed her arms, smugly.

"Shannon!" Shawn gently set his unconscious wife down and hugged his sister, tight. "You're alive! How're you alive?"

"Luckily, my instincts kicked in the nanosecond the bullet touched me, and I started to vibrate my molecules past it." She explained. "I was too exhausted, though, and it still took a bit out of the back of my head. I had to give myself time to _heal,_ but I'm alright."

 _["No!"]_ DeVoe shouted in fury. _["I will not be denied! I will-01101110 01101111!"]_ The artificial intelligence was cut off when something plugged into his back. A USB device uploaded a virus into his system, and deleted his core consciousness.

"I've been wanting to do _that_ since yesterday." Thaddeus quipped as he kicked the robotic husk to the floor.

"What are you _doing?!"_ Flag barked. "I thought you and DeVoe-"

"That _idiot_ just bought me a re-election, sweetheart." Schmidt smiled, wickedly, as he typed coordinates into the ship's computer. "I am going to _9/11_ this ship right into the Brooklyn Bridge! And after the smoke clears, I'll take charge and pick up the pieces. After all, nothing makes people turn a blind eye to corrupt politicians like a terror attack."

"You're insane!" Flag sneered.

"No… I'm the _president."_ Thaddeus clarified before smashing the controls and leaving through an escape hatch. The twin heroes could see that Schmidt was telling the truth; the trajectory of the ship would crash into the bridge and bring it down unless they stopped it.

"Shannon, I need you to get Meloni to safety! I'll take care of the plane!" Shawn ordered.

"What?! No, Shawn, I can't just-!"

"Shannon _please! Save her!"_ He begged.

Shannon hesitated for a moment before begrudgingly doing as he said. "Keep your commlink on! I'll send help!" She shouted back.

Shawn nodded and headed to the breach in the ship's hull. By vibrating his feet and fingertips to the same frequency of the metal, he was able to crawl towards the starboard wing. Struggling to stand up, he saw that he was getting closer to the double-decker bridge at an alarming rate. He flicked his wrist to the wing's flap trap mechanism, and with all of his strength, forced it to turn towards the river.

"Oh, shock…" He muttered. He had succeeded in keeping it away from the bridge, but it would be difficult to get off, safely. "Shock. Shock. Shock. Shockshockshockshockshockshock _shock!"_

The plane's tail clipped the bottom bridge, and Shawn fell off onto the hard concrete. The civilians were screaming in fear as the bridge started to crumble. Thinking quickly, Speed-Marine spun several strands of light-webs at the bridge, trying to keep it together. But it wasn't enough. He ended up being suspended in the air by two webs, as he tried to keep it together, himself.

 _["Speed-Marine! Can you hear me?!"]_ A voice came from his earpiece. _["My name is Arno Yat of the Green Nova Corps! Flag has warned me of your situation and sent me to help! Just hang on, I'll be there in_ ten minutes!"]

"Grr… seriously _doubt_ I have ten minutes…" Shawn growled to himself. His muscles felt as if they were being pulled apart as they strained against the weight of the heavy bridge. Looking behind him, he saw that a school bus had been left behind. The driver had crashed and was knocked out, trapping the children inside. Their screams strengthened his resolve.

"Hang on, kids! You're gonna be alright!" He called to them. Much to his relief, a fire truck's crew spotted them and they cautiously made their way towards them.

But when it came to being a superhero, it was never easy. Schmidt circled around and punched Speed-Marine in the jaw. Laughing maniacally as he taunted him. "You can't win, Speed-Marine!" He shouted as he punched him again, tearing his mask off in the process. This time, Shawn's grip started to weaken, and the bridge continued to collapse. Schmidt removed a staff from behind his jetpack and tapped a button on the side. Three blades popped out from the tip, and he pointed it at his foe in a menacing fashion. "My father killed _your_ father! Then he killed your _son!_ And now, it's time for _you_ to die!" Shawn closed his eyes in fear.

But before the corrupt politician could get close enough, a pipe hit him in the head, sending him spiraling out of control. "WHAT?!" Both he and Speed-Marine looked up. The citizens on the upper portion of the bridge were throwing anything they could find at Speed-Marine's attacker.

"Why don't you come on up _here,_ you freak?!"

"Leave Speed-Marine _alone!"_

"Yeah! You wanna pick on a guy tryna save a buncha _kids?!"_

"Get _away_ from him!"

"Get the hell _outta_ here or I'll kick your _ass!"_

"You mess with _Speed-Marine,_ you mess with _New York!"_

"You mess with _one_ of us, you mess with _all_ of us!"

Thaddeus grew angry at the sudden assault and prepared to give the people his full attention. But before he could advance, a blast of green energy ruptured his jetpack's full tank, and he crashed onto the lower bridge. Green Nova had arrived, creating light constructs that supported the damaged sections while simultaneously repairing it.

At last, Shawn let go of his webs and passed out. But before he could fall off the bridge, the people behind him grabbed onto his arms, pulling him to safety. They carried him over to the fire truck, and set him down to examine him.

"Is he alive?" One of the children asked.

"He's… he's so _old._ He's almost older than my parents…"

Shawn's eyes fluttered open, gazing at the group surrounding him. Once he realized he wasn't wearing his mask, he sat up with a frightened expression.

"It's alright…" The fire chief promised before looking to another firewoman with a skin graft on her cheek.

Joanne Parker made her way through the crowd with her hands behind her back. "We found something…" She whispered, meekly, and handed him his tattered mask. As Shawn gingerly pulled the cloth back over his face, the woman rubbed her sleeves over her eyes, unable to contain herself. And when the hero finally got back on his feet, her gentle smiled warmed his heart.

"It's good to have you _back,_ Speed-Marine." She said with a cracked voice, and everyone else agreed.

Speed-Marine looked towards Thaddeus and march over to him. The villain squirmed as he was hoisted into the air. "Y-you can't touch me!" He stuttered, fearfully. "You're on _American soil!_ A-and… and I am the _president!"_

"Consider yourself…" A strong, swift punch collided with Schmidt's jaw, knocking him out. "Impeached." The crowd burst into a loud applause as Speed-Marine raced off to deliver Schmidt to the police station.

Later, Shawn headed back to the WGSS, where Shannon watched over Meloni in the infirmary. "You're just in time." She patted him on the shoulder. "She's starting to wake up."

Shawn held Meloni's hand as her eyelids slowly slide open. Once she saw her husband, the woman could only smile. "Shawn… I knew… I _knew_ I could count on you."

"Always, baby…" Shawn cried, happily. _"Always."_

But Meloni's smile quickly disappeared, replaced with a worried frown. "Shawn…? I can't feel my legs. I-I can't feel my-" Her eyes widened when she removed her blanket. "My _legs…_ Shawn, what happened to my legs?!"

"Meloni… Meloni, calm down!" Shawn gently held her down in an attempt to calm her. "Sweetheart, what's the last thing you remember?"

"I-I was just out on the _street."_ She stammered. "I was just coming out of the doctor's office from a check up, a-and then my f-f-father _swept me up,_ and then-"

"Meloni…" Shawn's voice cracked. "Baby… that was _eight years ago."_

"What…?" Meloni choked. Her eyes slowly rolled down to her mid-section. She gently pulled the bottom of her hospital gown up, each inch making her heart beat faster. At last, her pupils shrank once she saw the faded scar just above the hemline of her undergarments. The victimized woman let out an anguished wail and buried her face into her husband's shoulder, prompting him to hold her, tightly.

Shannon urged the rest of her team to give the couple a few moments to grieve.

* * *

 **A Few Months Later.**

Shawn carefully helped Meloni walk into the WGSS' applied science lab. It had taken a long time for her to grow accustomed to her robotic appendages, but she was finally able to steady herself again. Although the pain of losing her unborn child was another matter. But right now, she was mostly confused as to why Shawn had brought her here.

Meanwhile, her sister-in-law was fiddling with a bizarre spherical spacecraft. Even more confusing; Sharon and some other girl were with her. "Are you _sure_ it'll work, Shannon?" He asked.

"For the last time; _yes!"_ Shannon sounded annoyed. "It _has_ to work. It was designed in 2069 by a muta-human with the ability to breach the time barrier. I think his name was, uh… Rick? No, _Rip!_ Rip Summers. He built this sphere so that the X-Patrol could continue to travel through time if they needed to. But after they made a _deal_ with the World Government, they offered us the rights to… _'borrow'_ it."

"This is so cool, mom!" Jenni was jumping with excitement. "I take back almost _everything_ I said about you when you dumped me on Grandma!"

"What's going on, Shawn?" Meloni finally asked.

"We're going to the _past."_ He answered. "Specifically, sometime around the year _mom_ got abducted by Zoom."

"What? Why?" Now Meloni was even more confused.

"When your douchebag brother was threatening me, he said that Zoom killed our _son."_ Shawn began. "But when _you_ got captured, the doctor said it was _too soon_ to tell the sex of the baby. So, how would _he_ know the sex?"

"Wait… are you saying…?" Meloni felt hope rising in her core.

"Yes, Mel." Shawn smiled, reassuringly. "Our child is _alive."_

"And if my hunch is _correct,_ I may know who he is." Sharon added.

"So, whaddya say, Mel?" Shawn asked. "You wanna meet our kid?"

After the group entered the timestream, Shawn felt generous enough to let Shannon pick the first song they listened to. Unfortunately, she didn't share her brother's taste in music. At last she found one she made a choice. "Let the record show that the only reason I chose _this_ song is because it is _the least_ disco song that you guys own…" She groaned and tapped the play button.

"Crash." Shawn grinned as he and his wife danced to _Hot Stuff_ by Donna Summer.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Arno Yat(Sodam Yat/Arno Yat)**


	88. Worst Heroes Ever Prelude

**Author's notes: What's this? Two chapters in one day? Huh... weird.**

 **Chapter XXX: Worst. Heroes. Ever! Prelude**

 **Washington D.C., Six Months Ago**

For the first time in years, Amanda Fury felt disappointed in herself. Looking back over the monitors, every news station was reporting the deaths of Hyperman, Thunder Woman, and the Flag. The whole point of the Justice Legion of Avengers was to bring together a group of remarkable people to protect the world. But after she left, the people started to turn against them.

The Superhuman Registration Act had divided them; turned them against each other. But despite everything, the three most important members still risked everything for the sake of the world. Captain Allen tried to warn everyone that Red Zoom was still at large, but no one listened. Thunder Woman was already off-world while Allen and Jordan were fighting each other, but that didn't stop her from coming back to fight off the Olympians. And even after being forced into exile, Hyperman saved Metropia from Von Havoc's monster.

Fury leaned back in her seat with an exhausted sigh. This wasn't supposed to happen. Those three were heroes; they deserved better. Her gaze fell upon an old project she had pitched several times to the U.S. government, but every time it had been turned down. She picked up the manila folder and read through it. In truth, the idea was rather barbaric; using people against their will to risk their lives. She growled in frustration at the uncertainty, reaching back into her desk to grab a bottle of strong whisky.

Then, she looked back at the newsfeed. "Never again…" She breathed.

* * *

 **Washington D.C., Present Day**

"Ladies… gentlemen." Fury greeted the other members of Congress in the Situation Room of the White House. "As you all know, last week Red Zoom managed to escape from custody. And long before that, this world lost _three_ of its most valuable super-beings. We can't afford any more _slip-ups._ But at the same time, we shouldn't find it acceptable for _good people_ to die for our sins. _"_

"This isn't that asinine _'Task Force Thunderbolt'_ project of yours again, is it, Amanda?" One congressman groaned in annoyance.

"Yes, it _is."_ Fury snapped back. "But this time you're gonna _listen._ We have _two_ Justice Legions, now. But it still isn't enough. We need super-beings that we can _control."_ The Secretary of Defense activated the screen at the end of the room, using the remote to control the video feed. "I want to assemble a task force of some very _dangerous_ people who I think can do some _good."_

"Uh, Amanda?" another congressman raised his hand in question. "You _do know_ those are all certified _super-villains,_ right?"

"The _worst_ of the _worst."_ Fury nodded.

"Let me get this _straight…"_ A military general shook his head. "You want to put the safety of the world in the hands of _criminals?"_

"General, we run them _covertly."_ Fury clarified. "Strict _need-to-know_ basis. And if they get _caught,_ we throw them under the _bus._ We have built-in deniability."

"And what makes you think you can _control_ them?" Another congressman piped up.

"I've already _thought_ of that." Fury smiled as she clicked the button again. The screen flashed to a picture of a Latino, male adult dressed in a standard S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform. "My successor, Director Ricardo Hill, has personally volunteered to be the field leader of Task Force Thunderbolt."

The room fell silent. No one could argue that Rick Hill was an extraordinary soldier. If anyone was qualified to control a ragtag gang of murderers and psychopaths, it was more than likely someone who was qualified to run S.H.I.E.L.D. "Alright, Amanda." Came a voice. "We'll listen to your pitch, then take a vote."

"Wonderful." Fury's smile broadened. "Let's take a look at our _first_ candidate." The screen displayed a mugshot of a young man with dark hair. "Jason Castle. Or as the _tabloids_ call him; the Eradicator. He wiped out _all_ organized crime on the West Coast, and then came _East_ for a fresh target set. We don't know much about his _past._ All we know is that at one point, he was adopted by New Gotham's district attorney, got killed in a plane crash, was mysteriously resurrected, and turned into a trigger-happy vigilante. So far, he's never _missed a shot._ And now, we have him in our pocket."

* * *

 _At the beginning of his career, Jason had been approached by a couple in Oregon City whose daughter had been kidnapped. After a few weeks of running into dead-ends, he finally got a lead; Cletus Zsasz. He received word that he was hiding out in Northern California, in an abandoned toy factory. Keeping two pistols in his grip, he cautiously searched for the little girl._

 _After one hour of searching, he found no trace of either Zsasz or the girl until he came upon a cage with two German Shepherds chewing on a bone. As he got closer, they took notice of his presence and growled in warning. The bone fell out of their jowls, revealing that the bone was part of a human femur._

 _Once Zsasz returned, he was beaten down by his dogs' carcasses and handcuffed to a pipe. "What the hell! You killed my dogs?! What do you want?!" Jason shone his flashlight onto the femur, then back at Zsasz. "Fine. I_ confess. _I killed the girl. Is this the part where you haul me off to prison?"_

 _But Jason didn't respond. He unholstered his gun and pressed the barrel against his forehead. "Wha-what're you doing?" Zsasz shuddered, tearfully. "T-take me it! Take me to jail!" Jason's hand shook as he struggled to pull the trigger. "Listen, man, I'm_ sick! _Okay?! I need_ help! _Take me to jail! Please, take me to jai-!"_

 _The gunshot echoed around the compound. As blood trickled down the killer's face, Eradicator finally took deep breaths to calm himself from his first kill._ "Men _go to prison…_ monsters _go to_ Hell!"

* * *

"And _that_ was just the _beginning."_ Most of the gathered officials looked impressed. At least Castle was a human that some of them could relate to. Fury smiled as she saw how well her pitch was going so far. When the room quieted down a bit, she continued her presentation.

"Next on my list; Dr. Harleen Wilson." A series of pictures flashed across the screen, one of which showed the woman's chalk-white, scarred skin. "Formerly a psychiatrist for the criminally insane, she had the misfortune of being assigned to Arkham Asylum in New Gotham… where she first met the _Slaughter."_

* * *

 _Dr. Wilson scribbled down her notes as her patient told her stories of childhood abuse at the hands of his father and neglect from his mother. She thought she was curing him, but in reality, she was falling in love. And as such, she was beginning to believe certain political ideals._

 _"He's_ crazy, _you know." Slaughter told her one day._

 _"Who? Gargoyle?"_

 _"No, Santa Claus-OF COURSE, GARGOYLE!_ Always _Gargoyle!" Even in a straightjacket, Slaughter managed to startle her. "I've seen it in his_ eyes! _Screaming, mad starkers… and_ dishonest! _Hiding his face behind a fright mask! As if it justifies what he's done! Well, no masks for_ me! I _have_ nothing _to hide! I_ laugh _at the cruel absurdity of the world! But Gargoyle… Gargoyle's got them all_ fooled! _He makes them think he's doing the right thing! That he's making a difference! That he isn't brutally terrorizing people without mercy or restraint! And the_ joke _of it is, they all_ believe it!"

 _"Who? The police?"_

 _"The_ police. _The_ media. _The fucking_ junior rangers! _Every last sack of walking meat_ in _this urban cesspool! And to add_ insult _to injury, he's allowed to run free through the city while_ I'm _stuck in here!"_

 _"That's really insensitive!"_

 _"Then you_ understand! _You_ know _why I do the things I do!" Slaughter slumped down in his seat with a sorrowful expression. Harleen rubbed his shoulder, gently, hoping to offer some comfort. Thankfully, he gave her a soft smile. "Y'know, I_ live _for these sessions, doctor." He purred. "I_ like _you… I really_ do. _Especially, your_ name. 'Harleen Wilson.' _Rework it a bit, and we get-"_

 _"_ 'Harley Sin.'" _Harleen grinned. "Which sounds like 'Harlequin.' The clown character. I know. I've heard it before."_

 _"It's a name that puts a_ smile _on my face…" Slaughter emphasized with a toothy grin. "There's something you can do for me, Dr. Wilson."_

 _"Anything." She promised._

 _"I need a_ machine gun… _"_

 _From that point on, everything went downhill. Dr. Wilson helped Slaughter escape from the asylum, and helped him with his crimes on a few occasions. But eventually, her usefulness ended, and Slaughter took her to the Ace Chemical plant, where he soon betrayed her. He originally left her for dead, but luckily, one of the new night janitors had heard the commotion and took her home to heal from her wounds._

 _The man's name was Nathan Macabre, and his roommate, Pamela Carlysle, happened to be a nurse. When asked how such a tragedy happened to her, Harleen was so upset about the betrayal that she poured her heart out to the couple. Both being familiar with personal pain, Nate and Pamela accepted Harleen into their home with open arms, eventually forming a polyamorous relationship._

 _But tragedy would strike once again, as Harleen fell ill with cancer. Although her lovers remained optimistic, Harleen utterly doubted her chances. Then, she was approached by a man named Stryker, who offered her a chance to be cured._

 _Dr. Hugo Killebrew planned to graft the DNA of a muta-human with regenerative abilities to Harleen's. The treatment was successful; giving her the ability to heal from any injury and sickness. But the plan backfired when her cancer cells developed the same properties. Her skin turned deathly pale, and scars riddled her entire body. Killebrew wanted to incinerate her body, but she managed to escape._

 _Not wanting to put the lives of her loved ones in danger, she changed her name to Harley Sin, made a suit to conceal her identity, and waged a one-woman war on those who had wronged her._

* * *

"She's wanted for over _one hundred_ counts of murder, attempted murder, and accomplice to murder. Including that of Gargoyle's second sidekick." This time, when Fury finished talking, the others looked uneasy. But they could wait to object after she introduced the rest. So without hesitation, she went on.

"And I believe you all know about _Mick Schultz._ The Blazer."

* * *

 _The Builder was hard at work building new weapons for the Gray Griffin. Every once in a while, he'd glance over at his apprentice, Mick Schultz. The older engineer rolled his eyes as he felt the young man was wasting his time working on his own side-project. Things got worse when he came over to him, once again, to give his usual pitch. "So, uh, James? Do you think Mr. Griffin would-?"_

 _"No." Builder snapped. "Y'know for an aspiring engineer, you're pretty damn_ stupid. _I've built weapons for Gray Griffin that made him_ fly. _You seriously think he's gonna bother with a_ flamethrower?"

 _"No, but, it's not_ just _a flamethrower." Mick went on. "The flames can be_ focused! _It can cut through six inches of_ steel. _They-"_

 _Suddenly, the hidden compound started to shake. Builder opened the hatch door in the ceiling, and the Gray Griffin landed, roughly. As he detached himself from the mechanical wings, he angrily ripped off his mask and threw it down. Mick took this as an opportunity to offer his weapon idea. "M-Mr. Griffin! I was hoping you could see this!" He picked up one of the gauntlets. "You see it-"_

 _Griffin pushed Mick out of his way and picked up his phone from Builder's desk. "Oh, yes." James started. "Your son keeps texting, sir. Something about a pep rally?"_

 _"What? I thought I told you not to look at my phone." Griffin's glare hardened._

 _"Well, you left it on my_ desk. _You know I'm a_ curious person _by nature." Builder reasoned. "Oh, additionally, Blast and Rattlesnake will be coming back from that Mexico job, tomorrow."_

 _Just then, a van pulled into the building. "Whoo!" A southern man jumped out with a giddy expression on his face. "How cool was that?!"_

 _Griffin slapped him in the face. "How many times have I told you? Do_ not _use the weapons out in the open!"_

 _"Hey, you said to move the merchandise! That punk in the leotard showed up, what was I supposed to do?!"_

 _"Run away! Run away, dammit! I don't care if it bruises your ego!" The supervillain rubbed his temples, trying to calm himself. "Look, I know you really don't give a shit -like, about_ anything _\- but_ I _do. Gargan and Boltiansky understand; at least_ they _wear masks to conceal their identities, but_ you? _You're out there running around with a hopped-up curling iron, roughing up random people, threatening clients, calling yourself 'the Blazer.' Ooh! The_ Bazer! _The_ Blazer! _I_ burn _people! What is this, pro-wrestling?! We're supposed to stay_ under _the radar! That's how we've lasted this long!"_

 _"Yeah, yeah! Relax! Nobody followed me, so just calm the fuck down."_

 _Griffin's glance turned to Mick, then to the device he was holding. "Y'know what? I'm_ done _with your bullshit." He snatched the device out of Mick's hand, turned the dial to its maximum power, and aimed it back at the disrespectful thug. "But I can't afford you out there, either. With everything you no."_

 _"Wait, no, boss-!" The man was cut off as a strong blast of heat bored a hole through his chest. After a few chokes and gasps, he fell to the floor, while a small pillar of smoke rose up from his carcass. The whole room fell silent for a moment, shocked at the effects of the weapon's full power. Even Griffin seemed slightly phased._

 _"I thought this was the anti-gravity gun?" He turned back to Builder._

 _"What?_ No. _That's_ that _one." Builder pointed to another weapon then to Mick._ "He _built that."_

"You _built this?" Griffin asked the quivering engineer. "Aren't you that_ new guy?"

 _"Y-yes, sir…" Mick answered, shakily. "See, I-I have a mother to look after. I was hoping that if you_ saw _what I was capable of... you'd let me in on the next_ big _job… please?"_

 _Griffin examined the weapon, carefully, smiling as he did. "Well… I like your_ resume. _Congratulations. You're the new_ Blazer. _Put that on, and get rid of the body."_

 _"Yes, sir…" Mick smiled._

* * *

"Soon after Speedster-Man broke up the Griffin's gang, Schultz went on his own path. Taking on _different jobs_ from _multiple employers._ Surprisingly, he's only ever killed _one person._ Based on the video footage we've obtained, he tries to make every one of his attacks _non-lethal._ He was in a standard prison five years ago when he first got caught. Somehow smuggled the weapons in with him. Got jumped into a prison riot. The video is _disturbing._ His last active assault was a _vendetta_ against Speedster-Man gone wrong. An alien made a deal with him, and they got _very close_ to ending him."

"So how'd you _catch_ him?"

"We _didn't._ After E.T. blew up, he _surrendered._ He was stationed at the Raft, but he's been transferred to Belle Reve. Up next; a _former_ Secretary of Defense. Slade Kingsley. Better know these days as _Mayhem."_

* * *

 _Secretary Slade Kingsley, a former soldier in the United States Army, was approached by Norman Griffin to be the first of a new breed of super-soldiers. Having grown up reading the romanticized comic books about the Flag and the Justice Society of Invaders, Slade was eager to jump onboard with the project. Unfortunately, what he didn't know was that the formula was a prototype for the Griffin serum._

 _Ingested in the form of gas, the formula succeeded in strengthening Slade's body, but also had the side-effect of driving him insane. He murdered the scientists, and broke into Griffin's armory, where he found enough equipment and weaponry to escape. Soon afterwards, he fashioned his own suit, took the name "Mayhem," and went on to be a successful mercenary._

 _Until one day, he was hired by Oswald Fisk to kill Speedster-Man._

 _"Look at this, Parker." Walter W. White beamed as he chewed on his cigar. "'The Gray Griffin Murdered by Speedster-Man.' Guess the poor sap outlived his usefulness for-"_

 _"Sir," Bart interrupted. "Speedster-Man didn't_ murder _the Gray Griffin. He was trying to_ help _him."_

 _"Why do you always stand up for that menace, Parker? Just get back to your job." Bart groaned and made his way out of the office as his boss threw his cigar out the window. "If_ he _has a problem with it let him_ sue _me! That's what made this country-!" White cut himself off when his cigar flew back through the window onto his desk._

 _Suddenly, the wall exploded, and Mayhem flew inside. White silently signaled Bart to get away before the hired killer picked him up by the neck. "Hello, Walter!" Mayhem cackled. "Your photographer! The one who always get the pictures of Speedster-Man! Where is he?!"_

 _"I-I don't know!" Walter choked out as best he could. "I-I've never actually_ met _the guy!"_

 _"You're_ lying!" _Mayhem sneared._

 _"No! I_ swear, _it's the truth!" Walter tried his best to sound convincing, at least long enough to give Bart time to get somewhere safe. "H-he only ever contacts me through e-mail!"_

 _"Then, you're_ useless _to me!" Mayhem threw White to the floor and pulled out a long katana. But as he swung it at the publisher, a thin cable snatched it out of his hand. "What?!"_

 _"Leave him alone, dude!" Speedster-Man ordered, firmly. "This is between_ me _and_ you."

 _"Speedster-Man!" Walter got up to his feet. "I_ knew _you were behind this! I just-!"_

 _A super-swift push sent Bart's boss out the door. "Get lost, junior. Mom and dad are talking."_

* * *

"Needless to say, Kingsley _wiped the floor_ with Speedster-Man. The kid was _lucky_ to have gotten out alive." The gathered politicians shared an uneasy glance between one another. The few who had the privilege of meeting Kingsley while he was in office remembered him as a charming and charismatic politician who took his job very seriously. But after becoming Mayhem, he proved to be a ruthless mercenary. Six highly trained special operatives had died trying to bring him in.

"But, even an _insane_ man has a weakness." Fury elaborated. "And a weakness can be _exploited. His_ is a trio of honor students at Midtown High School. His _children._ So, we gave an a little _tip_ to Speedster-Man and a couple of his amazing friends. So now, we have a highly capable mercenary with Griffin powers. He's in the same hole as Eradicator, Sin, and Blazer."

Again, no one said anything to interrupt her. "Then, there's the _peanut gallery,_ starting with the _Aussie._ Lester Harkness, the man who can turn _anything_ into a weapon."

 _Captain Projectile had robbed every bank in Australia at least once, only to come to America for a fresh target set. He betrayed everyone he ever worked with, keeping all the spoils for himself. His mistake was daring to come to New Gotham. Gargoyle easily apprehended Harkness and handed him over to S.H.I.E.L.D._

The next slide made everyone gasp in shock. A seven-foot-tall man, with orange stone for flesh and razor-sharp teeth. "Say hello to Waylon Grimm. Or as he's known on the streets; Killer Rock. Study of cosmic radiation made evolution take a step _back_ with this one. His body is completely _impenetrable,_ but it's also left him horribly deformed. He _looked_ like a monster. So, they _treated_ him like a monster. And he _became_ a monster. He was chased out of New Gotham by the Gargoyle, so he went looking for sanctuary elsewhere, but he never found it."

This went on and on until Amanda felt she had said enough. At last, the majority of the room voted in favor of the project. "When can this be put into motion?"

"It already _is."_ Amanda smiled.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Cletus Zsasz(Cletus Kassidy/Victor Zsasz)**

 **Dr. Hugo Killebrew(Killebrew/Hugo Strange)**

 **Norman Griffin aka The Gray Griffin(Green Goblin/The Griffin)**

 **James Jesse Manson aka the Builder(The Tinkerer/The Trickster)**

 **Nathan Gargan aka Rattlesnake(Scorpion/Copperhead)**

 **Maxwell Boltiansky aka Blast(Electro/Dreadbolt)**

 **Task Force Thunderbolt aka Suicide Squadron(Thunderbolts/Suicide Squad)**

 **Jason Castle aka Eradicator(Punisher/Red Hood) Wanted for 300+ counts of murder, 32 counts of breaking and entering, 67 counts of assault and battery, and possession of illegal firearms. Relatives: Willis Castle{father/deceased}, Sheila Castle{mother/deceased}, Lisa Castle{sister/deceased}, Matthew Wayne{adopted father}**

 **Harleen Wilson aka Harley Sin(Deadpool/Harley Quinn) Wanted for 107 counts of murder, 21 counts of accomplice to murder, 204 counts of assault and battery, and possession of illegal weapons. Relatives: Unknown mother and father, Pamela Carlysle{polyamorous wife}, Nathan Macabre{polyamorous husband}**

 **Mick Schultz aka The Blazer(the Shocker/Heat Wave) Wanted for 1 count of manslaughter, 23 counts Grievous Bodily Harm, 48 counts of felony arson, 58 counts of grand theft, and 36 counts of assault and battery. Relatives: Kenneth Schultz{father/deceased}, Diane Schultz{mother/deceased}**

 **Slade Kingsley aka Mayhem(Hobgoblin/Deathstroke) Wanted for 83 counts of murder, 96 counts of grand theft, and 79 counts of assault and battery. Relatives: Adeline Kingsley{ex-wife}, Grant Kingsley{son}, Joseph Kingsley{son}, Rose Kingsley{daughter}**

 **Lester Harkness aka Captain Projectile(Bullseye/Captain Boomerang) Wanted for 25 counts of murder, 287 counts of grand theft. Relatives: Unknown.**

 **Waylon Grimm aka Killer Rock(The Thing/Killer Croc) Wanted for 57 counts of murder, 41 counts of assault and battery. Relatives: Unknown.**

 **Ivan Knyazev aka The Soviet(the Russian/KGBeast) Wanted for 33 counts of murder, and 21 counts of assault and battery.**

 **Task Force Thunderbolt aka Suicide Squadron(Thunderbolts/Suicide Squad)**

"Oh!" Harley says to whoever is reading. "Oh, hello! I _know,_ right?! 'Whose _neck_ did I have to strangle in order to finally make an appearance in this shitty online story?' Well, I _can't_ tell you… but his name rhymes with _RASHFAN123._ And let me tell you; that motherfucker is _lonely._ Anywho, we've got a story to run, so please, come back when the update arrives! Oh, and to all of you who just read the first two chapters then abandoned the rest like a used piece of toilet paper… _you suck!"_


	89. Worst Heroes Ever part 1

**Trigger warning: mature sexual references.**

 **Chapter XXX: Worst. Heroes. Ever! Part 1**

 **Starring: An Undead Gun-Humper, God's Perfect Bitch, A Christian Pyro, An Orange Creep, A Militaristic Douche, A One-Eyed Megalomaniac, and The Peanut Gallery**

 _ **Echo Creek. Los Angeles, California. Two Weeks Ago.**_

 _Harley Sin rapped her fingers against the window of her taxi cab, wishing that one of the things she could kill was boredom. Ultimately, she ended up opening the window that separated her from the driver. "It's kinda_ lonely _back here!" She startled the driver as she squeezed through the small opening. At last, she was in the passenger's seat._

 _"Uh… hi." The driver extended her hand, confused by the sudden ordeal. "I'm Stella. My friends call me Star."_

 _"Oooh,_ pretty! _Harley Sin! Pleased to meetcha!" She shook her new friend's hand, eagerly, then pointed to the picture on her dash. "Mmm… nice."_

 _"Smells_ good, _right?" Star sniffed, thinking Harley meant the air freshener._

 _"Not the_ French Vanilla Sunrise _, dink. The_ boy."

 _"Oh! Yeah, Marco." A small blush appeared beneath the driver's dual heart tattoos on her cheeks. "Yeah, he's… he's been my friend ever since I_ moved _here. He would've made a very good boyfriend, but… his heart belongs to Jackie Lynn Thomas. But, it's okay! I'm dating Oskar, now!"_

 _Harley frowned beneath her mask as her psychiatric skills went on autopilot. "Star? I think there's a_ reason _I'm in this cab, today."_

 _"Yeah, I saw you call for it."_

 _"No, no, no._ Love, _my golden-haired friend, is a_ beautiful thing… _" She emphasized by waving her hands. "When you_ find _it, the whole world tastes like French Vanilla Sunrise. But you were just gonna dump it for the_ next best thing? _No." Harley grasped Star's hand, firmly. "Here's what you do; you need to_ hold tight, _and_ never _let go! Don't make the same mistake_ I _made! I don't know who this_ 'Oskar' _douchebag is, but you've gotta get_ rid _of him! Otherwise the whole world tastes like_ Mama June _after hot yoga."_

 _"Oh… okay…" Star nodded. "So, uh, why're you wearing the fancy red and black suit, Ms. Sin?"_

 _"Oh, that's because it's_ Valentine's Day, _sweetcheeks, and I'm after someone who_ broke _my heart." Harley looked down at her watch. "I have been waiting_ one _year,_ seven _weeks,_ four _days, and_ sixteen _minutes to make him_ pay _for leading me down this path. Oh, stop right here!"_

 _The cab screeched to a halt over the expressway bridge. Luckily, no one else was around. "Okay, that's_ thirty dollars _and_ five cents." _Star beamed._

 _"Ya gotta be kiddin'." Harley groaned. "I only have_ thirty. _I never carry change while I'm working; it stretches the fabric of my suit. But, hey, how about a_ crisp high-five, _instead?" She handed over the thirty dollars , then held up her palm with her fingers spread._

 _"O-okay…" Star clapped her own palm against her passengers with a confused expression._

 _"Happy Valentine's Day!" Harley shouted before closing the door._

 _"And, uh, happy… Tuesday in April to you, too, Ms. Sin!"_

 _Not long after, Harley intercepted Slaughter's convoy, killed all of his henchmen, and eventually defeated the Killer-Prince of Crime in a fist fight. She held nothing back, not even when he was down on his hands and knees, trying to catch his breath. She pinned him to the highway wall with one of her katannas and knelt down in front of him._

 _"How's it goin', Mistah S? Ya look_ good. _Remember me? No?" Harley pulled off her mask, revealing her scarred, white skin and pale-blonde ponytails. "How 'bout_ now, _puddin?" She spat, menacingly._

 _But Slaughter just laughed. "Dr. Harleen Wilson. Well,_ hello, _gorgeous! Hahahahaha!"_

 _"Yeah, like I got bitten by a radioactive shar pei. And who's fault is_ that?" _Harley pulled her mask back on. "That chemical plant ya left me to die in? It did a_ number _on my insides and gave me a buncha_ tumors. _And the people who tried ta_ fix _me turned me into_ this. _Now… I'm gonna do to_ you _what_ Justin Bieber _did to America's view of_ Canada!"

 _But before she could punch him again, a lightning bolt blasted her into a car. Looking up, she spotted her attackers: five muta-humans; two adults, three teenagers. She grumbled, angrily. "Okay, let's_ pro/con _the role of 'superhero.' Pro: say awesome catch-phrases -which sometimes become funny internet memes-, lucrative opportunities for fan fictions- both current_ and _possible companion fictions-, local dry-cleaning discounts._ Con… _they're all_ lame-ass _teacher's pets!"_

 _"You know we can_ hear _you." Tempest sounded offended._

 _"I wasn't talking to_ you! _I was talkin' ta_ them!" _Harley pointed at the reader._

 _"You've been_ warned, _Harleen." Nightcaster crossed his arms. "This is a_ shameful _and_ reckless _use of your powers! You will_ both _be coming with us."_

 _"Look, Nightcaster! Tempest! I ain't got_ time _for the goodie-two shoes_ bullshit!" _Her gaze fell upon the younger mutas. "Aaaand_ you three _are…?"_

 _"Sandstorm."_

 _"Stereo."_

 _"And Sureshock."_

 _"Sandstorm, Stereo, and-_ what the shit?! _Those are the coolest code-names_ ever!" _Harley snickered. "So, you're their_ what? Sidekicks?"

 _"No. Trainees." Tempest corrected, irritably._

 _"Harleen, you're_ better _than this." Nightcaster tried. "Join us. Use your powers for_ good. _Become a superhero-"_

 _"You purple, furry_ cock-gobbler!" _Harley shouted. "Ya really gonna_ fuck this up _for me, right now! Trust me;_ that _sleazy bag of_ dick-tips _has it comin'! He's_ pure evil! _So, I'm gonna take my_ big, fat sword _and shove it_ right _up his a-" She cut herself off when she saw her captive had escaped. "THAT DOES IT! YA MADE ME USE THE CAPS LOCK!"_

 _She swung her fist at Nightcaster's face, only for a stormcloud to pop out of thin air and break her wrist. The humourous mercenary dropped to her knees in pain. "AAAH! Oh, shit! That's my_ pleasurin' _hand! Vag-shot!" She aimed for Ororo, only to wind up heading towards Sooraya's nether-regions. But the young muta instinctively shifted her molecules into concrete-hard sand._

 _"Aaaaah!" Another wrist broken. "Oh,_ Christ! _I_ so _pity the dude who pressures_ you _into prom sex!"_

 _"Do you have an off-switch?" Ororo groaned._

 _"Yeah, it's right below the_ clitoris." _Harley giggled. "Or is that the_ 'on'- _switch?!"_

 _"Enough!" A final lightning blast pinned Harley to the ground, making it easy for Nightcaster to slap the handcuffs on her. "The_ Chief _will decide what to do with you."_

 _"Is he more like_ Xavier _or_ Caulder?" _Harley muttered. "These Amalgam personalities get so confusing…"_

* * *

 **Belle Reve Penitentiary, Louisiana. Present Day.**

Harleen sat in her cold prison cell, surrounded by multiple guards to keep her from trying to escape. As the lunch bell rang on time, a tray of food slid under her door. "Enjoy, sweetheart." The guard laughed.

Meanwhile, in another cell, Jason Castle had leaned his matress against the wall. Using it as a punching bag to keep in shape, he had spent the last few hours hitting the hard cushion. When the guard came around to deliver his lunch, he barely paid attention.

"Lunchtime, Jason!" He called.

The Eradicator wiped the sweat from his brow as he made his way to the door. "Only my _friends_ call me Jason."

"You ain't got no friends, Jason." Captain Jackson laughed. "Serial killers don't have that privilege."

"You keep calling me a _serial killer,_ Jackson." Jason's eyes narrowed. "Is it because you know they people I _target?_ Not just the _murderers…_ but _rapists_ and _child molesters,_ too?" Jackson frowned as the prisoner went on. "Oh, yeah… I _know_ about you. I know that you _hit_ your wife… that you _rape_ your _daughter. How old_ is she, now? Twelve? Thirteen? So, can I tell you a _secret?_ Someday… somehow… I'm gonna get _outta_ here. And I will _slit your throat."_

"You just threatened a staff member." Jackson replied, coldly. "Which goes against our _strict_ zero-tolerance policy. Y'know what _that_ means." He unlocked the cell and tazed the Eradicator to ground, where his men proceeded to beat him.

After witnessing that, none of the other prisoners tried testing Captain Jackson's fury.

A few hours later, a helicopter touched down on the roof's helipad. Director Hill hated the swamp; he had been to war in deserts, jungles, and even third-world cities, but he could never tolerate Louisiana. The mosquitoes were already attacking his skin, as the humidity had him sweating through his hat. But Fury didn't seem to mind.

"Welcome, sir!" Captain Jackson greeted, warmly. "Belle Reve is pleased to have you here! Let me know if you need anything!"

"Kiss _her_ ass. She's in charge." Hill retorted, unimpressed.

"Welcome, ma'am!"

"We'd like to see a few people." Amanda handed the captain a clipboard with a short list.

Their first stop was cell B-3, the Blazer's holding cell. Jackson's men couldn't help but spit out a few rude remarks about the former arsonist. They mostly insulted his outfit and Brooklyn accent, but they also poked at his supposed conversion to Christianity. When they reached the steel door, Jackson pounded on it with his nightstick. "Yo, Schultz! Put that Bible down! You've got visitors!"

When the eye-slit was pulled back, Fury saw the burned convict in a kneeling position with his hands together. He looked like he was whispering something before he acknowledged their presence. Amanda held up her phone and played a video of his first time in a prison riot. He stood in the center of the cafeteria, adjusted the knobs on his gauntlets, and sent everyone into a crazed panic as they were engulfed in flames. _["Hahahaha! What's up?! Ya want some of this?!"]_

"That ain't _me."_ Mick's voice cracked as the video ended.

"That wasn't _you?"_ Fury scoffed.

"No, they _say_ that's me, but it _ain't_ me." Mick insisted. "That guy's _gone._ He's _dead._ And he's _never_ comin' back."

"Yet, here _you_ are." Fury snapped.

"Hey, c'mon. Lemme talk to him." Hill offered. "Hey there, buddy. You got yourself a _good deal._ You help _us,_ we help _you._ Comprende?"

"Look, man. You're obviously not the _first_ to ask, an' you ain't gonna be the _last."_ Even with the saddened overtone, Hill was impressed with how gruff his voice was.

"And what's _that?"_

"I've _changed,_ okay?" Mick sighed, heavily. "I know that sounds _cliche,_ but it's the _truth._ I answer to a _higher power_ now."

"Well, that higher power's not gonna help you walk outta _here,_ pal." Hill countered. "You wanna _die_ in here, ese?"

"At least I'll die in _peace_ before I ever put on that suit again." Mick finished, and went back to his prayer. "I've caused _enough_ harm…"

"... okay, we tried it _your way."_ Fury spat. She ordered the guards to open the door and restrain him. Then, as they strapped him into a wheelchair, Hill pressed a cylindrical device against the back of his neck and pulled the trigger.

"Ow! Hey, what _was_ that?! Where're ya takin' me?! Lemme _go!_ I know my rights!" Mick shouted as they wheeled him down the hall.

Next, they headed to cell A-13; Castle's cell. He put up a good fight, but he soon found himself in his own wheelchair. "Anybody who _touches me_ is _dead!"_ He shouted as Hill gave him the same injection.

Harley Sin was next. They stormed into her cell, immediately strapped her down, and gave her the injection. "Get ready to pay for your crimes, Wilson." Hill muttered.

"Ugh, you're tellin' me that the stuff we do has _lasting consequences?"_ Harley groaned. "Are you _sure_ we're using elements from the _Marvel Universe?"_

* * *

In no time at all, the trio were rolled into a large, empty room, along with Mayhem, Killer Rock, Captain Projectile, the Soviet, and a red-haired woman with pale eyes and bulky restraints around her hands. The rocky monster was the first to stand up. "No bars… no chains… time for _meat!"_ He picked up the red-head by her leg, and prepared to take a bite out of her.

But to everyone's surprise, she slammed her restraints against his jaw, then his groin, making him fall on his back. She rammed her restricted hands against against his chin as her dead eyes stared into his own. "You try it, and I'll show you _just_ how cold-hearted I am." Snowblind threatened.

"...you're _feisty."_ Rock commented, genuinely impressed.

Jason's gaze crept over to his other cellmate. Despite the scars, he recognized her face. "YOU!" He shouted, and pointed at her, angrily.

"You…" Harley squeaked, recognizing him, herself. "Harley done a _wee-wee."_

Jason pushed Projectile out of his way, chasing after the insane mercenary. "Oy! What's yer problem, mate?!" The Aussie growled.

"That crazy bitch is the reason I ended up being _dead!"_ Jason snapped back.

"That was just a big misunderstanding!" Harley defended herself, still running from him.

"You set me up by stealing my family's personal belongings- _gruff!"_ Jason grunted as he swung punches at her. "So you could write in my father's _journal-argh!_ To make me think My _biological mother_ was still alive- _yah!_ And then _impersonated_ her, so you could deliver me to _Slaughter-uff!_ And then he left me to _die_ in a point-blank explosion! You call _that_ a misunderstanding?!"

"Sit. _Down."_ A voice ordered. Everyone turned to find a Latino man in a skin-tight uniform with his arms crossed. He surveyed the room with a neutral expression, as if he wasn't bothered by the fact that he was surrounded by a group of sociopaths. Out of curiosity, they did as he instructed.

"What are we doing here?" Mick raised his hand.

"You have all been selected for a government experiment called 'Task Force Thunderbolt.'" Hill explained. "Task Force Thunderbolt is an _off-the-books_ strike team that utilizes criminals with _no chances_ of making parole to serve America, by taking on missions _far_ too dangerous for normal soldiers. You will be assigned _periodical missions_ throughout your imprisonment, whenever you are needed. Succeed, and we shave some _time_ off your sentences."

"And if we _fail?"_ Snowblind asked.

"You'll be _dead."_ Hill replied, bluntly. "Any _other_ stupid questions?"

"Yeah." Mayhem stepped forward. "What's to stop me from _killing_ all of you, _right now,_ and getting out of here?"

Hill smirked. "Y'know, I was _just getting_ to that. I'm sure you all remember that little _prick_ you got in the back of your necks?" Most of them rubbed their necks, confirming his claim. "It serves as a _tracking device,_ but it's _primary_ function is a _nanite explosive."_

The Director had to stifle a chuckle as they all flinched. "It's about the same size as a _rice grain,_ but it's as powerful as a _hand grenade._ And the only other person who has the remote to _detonate_ them other that your field leader- uh, that's _me,_ by the way -is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent chosen at random every week. If you _run away,_ get yourself _captured, disobey_ a direct _order_ … Hell, you give me a right answer too _slowly,_ and I will _blow your head off."_

"You are _lying."_ Soviet stood up, coaxing everyone to glance at him. "You would not go through all this _trouble_ of bringing us together just to _kill_ us."

"Is that a _fact?"_ Hill's eyebrow arched. Pressing a button on the wall, he opened a hidden door, leading to the swamp. "Then _go ahead."_

The rest of the group watched with anticipation, wondering what Soviet's next move would be. Steeling his nerves, the Russian mercenary walked out of the room down the hall. Hill sighed, heavily, and tapped a few buttons on his wrist-mounted tablet. A loud beeping noise echoed around the room, making Soviet stop in his tracks. The terrified look on his face was etched into their minds before the contents of his head splattered all over them.

"Yuck…" Hill muttered, flicking a piece of brain off of his shoulder. "Anyone _else?"_ He asked, rhetorically. When they didn't give an answer, he went on with the next set of orders. "Moving on, our first mission is an _easy one._ Say hello to A.I.M., _Advanced Idea Mechanics,_ the _engineering division_ of H.Y.D.R.A. After Maxwell Von Havoc was arrested for his part in Metropia's destruction, they broke into his lab and stole something _highly valuable:_ a genetic clone… of _Hyperman."_

"Bloody Christ!"

"No way!"

"You're _kidding!"_

Hill expected that they'd all be shocked, but there was no time for interruptions. With a few more taps of his tablet, a holographic screen appeared and the lights dimmed down. An old woman in a lab coat appeared on screen. Her hand was shaking as she held the camera.

 _["Hello… my name is Dr. Betty Banner."]_ She stammered. _["By the time you see this, I will most likely be_ dead. _But before I die, I wish to do some_ good."] The video panned over to a group of men in lab coats, rolling a glass container into a truck. Inside was a skinny teenager immersed in the green liquid.

 _["They call him_ Project FAS-MLE. _But I call him_ Conner. _He is a genetic clone of Hyperman. He was intended to be a_ weapon _for Mr. Von Havoc's own purposes, but the alien DNA was too advanced for us. In order to stabilize his molecular structure, we spliced the Radonian genes with those of Havoc, himself. But as a result, he has not shown any signs of Radonian powers. In a desperate attempt to_ activate _his abilities, they began exposing him to_ gamma radiation."]

The video then showed multiple videos of the scientists performing inhumane experiments on the lanky clone. Hill looked disturbed; he didn't like the idea of young people being treated so poorly, regardless of how they enter the world. But then, the videos became much more pleasant. Banner was shown caring for the boy; teaching him, feeding him, and playing with him when he was younger.

 _["In secret, I raised him as the son I always wanted. Even going so far as to name him after my deceased husband. But we're running out of_ time. _I don't ask that anyone forgive me for helping these terrorists… all I ask is that whoever finds this saves my son. They're taking him to a secret laboratory in Mexico, just south of the border in California. Dr. Betty Banner, signing off."]_

The hologram disappeared, leaving everyone in silent shock. Harley's face contorted, as if she were trying to process the information. At last, she smiled and snapped her fingers. "Ooooh! I get it! FAS-MLE! _Facsimile!_ Because he's a facsimile of Hyperman!"

"We are going to get this kid out of H.Y.D.R.A.'s hands, and deliver him to S.H.I.E.L.D." Hill concluded. "If the mission is _successful,_ the U.S. government will shave _five years_ off of your sentences. You'll be allowed a few pieces of your _gear,_ but only what you'll need to get the job _done._ Your glider-wings are _off-limits,_ Mayhem." The super-soldier shrugged off the remark. The Director moved out of the room, pressed a button on the wall, and a glass window separated him from the criminals. "Until then, enjoy your _nap._ I'm _clear,_ gas 'em."

The last thing the inmates remembered was knock-out gas flooding the room.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Alicia Frost aka Snowblind(Alicia Masters/Killer Frost)**

 **Conner Banner aka Subject FAS-MLE(Bruce Banner/Conner Kent)**


	90. Worst Heroes Ever part 2

**Chapter XXX: Worst. Heroes. Ever! Part 2**

 _ **Queens, New York, NY. 2016.**_

 _Slade Kingsley silently flew through the night sky after completing a successful mission in Cancun. After fifteen hours of flying, he landed on the roof of a domestic household, carefully creeping towards the window. Once inside, he would acquire the target, and give her the welcome of a lifetime._

 _"Hi, dad." Rose's voice came from behind him._

 _Kingsley chuckled to himself. He spent half a fortune on his suit's stealth tech, and yet it all paled in comparison to his daughter's natural sneakiness. "Hey, Pumpkin." He smiled, ruffling her hair. As they sat on the edge of the roof, he pulled back his hood and pulled off his mask. "Are your brothers still up, too?"_

 _"Well, Grant is spending the weekend in Massachusetts for a hunting retreat, and Joey is at the school for a mock trial."_

 _"Is your mother still going out at night?" He inquired with a concerned tone._

 _"It's okay, dad." She promised. "We can take care of her. I help her out with tax season, and Joey's added_ meatloaf _to his monthly dinner repertoire."_

 _Kingsley laughed, softly, shaking his head in disappointment. "Pumpkin, that's… that's_ sweet, _and everything, but that's not how it_ works. _She's supposed to be taking care of_ you. _I want you and your brothers to come live with_ me. _I just need to do a few more jobs, and then I'll have enough money to_ retire _and put you three through college."_

" _If you'd let us do the jobs_ with you _it'd probably go a lot faster." Rose offered._

 _"Hmmm…" Slade rubbed his chin. "I'll_ think _about it. But for now-" A thick, wire cable with a magnetic tip latched onto his body armor, and pulled him off of the roof. A bright flash of yellow energy knocked him onto the street in mid-air, and a steel baton smacked him in the face. Speedster-Man, Marvelgirl, and Dare faced the angered criminal in a defensive stance as he got back to his feet._

 _"It's over, Mayhem!" Speedster-Man punched him again. "I don't wanna do this in front of your daughter!"_

 _Kingsley took one of his grenades out of his knapsack and threw it at his enemy. But Marvelgirl cupped the weapon in her bare hands, saving everyone from the explosion. Dare retaliated by using his batons to disrupt the mercenary's winged jet-pack, thereby keeping him on the ground. Speedster-Man went in for the attack, landing a super-swift punch on his enemy's jaw._

 _Mayhem reached for his knapsack, again, but it was no longer at his side. He quickly surveyed the area until he spotted the bag of weapons on the other side of the street. He lunged towards it, but it was swept away by the young speedster, who proceeded to smack him down with it. Before he could retaliate, two strong cables shot out from the devices on Speedster-Man's wrists, binding his hands._

 _As the trio surrounded him, Mayhem realized that he had been defeated. Once the S.W.A.T. team arrived, his daughter tearfully waved him off, coaxing him to flash her a warm, comforting smile. But once the doors shut, the former Secretary of Defense began plotting his revenge._

* * *

 **3,500 Feet in the air, heading towards California. Present Day.**

Slade's eyes slowly fluttered open and he gazed around his surroundings. He recognized the interior as a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy transport craft, and remembered what happened before the gas hit him. It came as no surprise that he was strapped to his seat - as were the other recruited inmates - but he found it tedious, given that they all had bombs in their heads. But he was grateful they had at least fitted him with his Mayhem armor.

"No…" He turned his head to see Michael Schultz struggling to get out of his seat, but he was strapped down. "No, no, no, no, _no!_ Let me _out_ of here!"

"I'm afraid I can't _do_ that, Blazer." Director Hill apologized, half-heartedly. "You have to atone for your crimes."

"Then put me in _jail_ fer the rest of my life!"Mick begged, tearfully. _"Anything!_ Just, _please,_ don't make me hurt anybody!"

"Oh, for God's sake." Mayhem rolled his eyes. "Try to have some _dignity,_ Blazer."

"Don't _call_ me that!" Mick snapped. "That's not _me,_ anymore!"

"I don't get why yer so _skittish_ about it, Blazer!" Harley piped up. "I'm a _big fan_ of yer work! In fact, it get's me all… _hot n' bothered!_ Ha ha ha! Get it?"

"Alright, listen up!" Hill paced around his restrained soldiers. "We'll be arriving at the drop point within the _hour._ It's a simple _smash-and-grab._ Infiltrate the laboratory, secure Project FAS-MLE, get it to the rendezvous point, and kill _anyone_ who gets in your way."

With that, Hill left the convicts and entered the cockpit. Mick was still breathing heavily from the adrenaline. Kingsley leaned over from where he was sitting to make sure the arsonist could hear him.

"So, you _are_ Mick Schultz? The Blazer?"

"I _was."_ Mick replied, shakily.

"Well, as it turns out, you burned down the hideout of one of my targets a few years ago." Mayhem sneered. "He got so _spooked,_ he _ran away_ to another country." Mick swallowed hard as the gravity of Mayhem's tone rammed into him like a truck.

"But, lucky for _you,_ I'm in a forgiving mood." Mayhem smiled. "Y'see, one way or another, I'm getting _out_ of here. And when I _do,_ I'm going after that fast punk who put me here in the _first place._ And word around Belle Reve is… you _know_ who he really is."

Mick didn't say anything, at first. He didn't know what to say. He had already taken away the kid's uncle; was he really going to expose his identity so that he could be safe from Mayhem's wrath? At last, he made his decision. "... if I knew who he was, he'd be _dead_ by now."

Harley grew bored with the conversation, so she turned her attention to the rock-covered monster beside her. "Psychiatric powers: _activate!"_ She giggled. "Why do you _eat_ people?"

Killer Rock growled. "It gives me _power."_

"Would you like to eat _me?"_ Harley asked with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Hell, naw." He muttered.

"Aw… why not?" She pouted.

"I don't want your _crazy."_ He huffed, coaxing the other woman beside him to snicker. Given that he tried to eat her and she beat him senseless when they first met, Waylon and Snowblind had gotten off on the wrong foot. But he had to admit; she had a cute laugh.

"Says the guy who prefers to live in a _sewer."_ Harley shot back.

"At least I _know_ it's a sewer."

"Oh, I get it!" Harley chuckled. "So, _Regina, Saskatchewan_ is a sewer, too? Except with _malls_ and _restaurants."_

"Why're ya messin' with him?" Mick cut in, trying to defuse the situation.

"Because I'm _bored."_ Harley huffed. "I need a brain I can chew up… and you just _handed_ me one on a silver platter." She leaned forward as far as she could to get a better look at the pyrotechnic. "Caucasian male… _early thirties…_ most likely from _Brooklyn_ judging from your accent… with a fascination with all things dealing with _heat."_

"That's not _me_ anymore." Mick defended himself.

"Uh-uh…" Harley grinned. "You're _still_ obsessed with fire, ain'tcha, sweetheart? Lemme guess; traumatic childhood experience with _cold?_ Or your daddy was a _welder_ and you grew up wanting to be one, too. Until you found out how many people end up getting _laid off,_ and how picky unions are. So, you sharpened your skills, trolled around for an underground _crime ring,_ and finally got the resources to build _those_ bad boys."

"... mind yer own business."

"AH-HAH!" Harley cheered in victory. She then turned her attention to the only other woman on the team. "So, Frosty… what's _your_ story, eh?"

"Bite me." Snowblind replied.

"Kinky, but _no thanks…"_ Harley giggled, then mulled over the icy villainess for a moment. "I'm thinking… _twenty-something_ woman of _Irish_ descent, based on your red hair… possibly a _muta-human…_ who put up with _abusive parents."_ Snowblind growled in anger, but Harley went on. "Aw, did mommy and daddy not take ya to Chuck E' Cheese fer yer sixth birthday-?"

"NO!" Snowblind snarled. "My fucking _step-father_ poured bleach in my eyes, so I stuck an _icicle_ through his head! Happy?!"

"Whoa! Chill out!" Harley flinched. "Wait. Sorry. Bad choice of words."

Waylon craned his head to Alicia. A single tear slide halfway down her cheek before it froze and shattered. Growing up with absent parents and an overprotective aunt, coupled with the accident that turned him into the rock monster he currently was, he could empathize with the woman's sorrow. "You alright?" He asked, genuinely concerned.

"Yeah… I'm fine."

Meanwhile, in the cockpit, Hill sat back down in the pilot seat and turned off the auto-pilot. As they got closer to their destination, he gave a quick glance to the youngest inmate sitting next to him. "So, how do you like flying _first class?"_ He joked.

"You're _enjoying_ this aren't you?" Jason muttered, still struggling against his restraints. "This is a waste of my time, dude. I'm in it to _kill monsters._ I'm not an _errand boy."_

"You're a _sociopath."_ Hill retorted. "A punk who thinks he's doing the right thing to justify antisocial tendencies."

"Don't you fucking _dare_ play psychoanalyst with _me,_ el mexicano!" Jason spat. "Where the hell do _you_ get off? You know the _dark places,_ too. How many people have _you_ killed?"

"First of all; I'm from _Guatemala._ Second; I'm a _soldier._ I _protect_ people."Hill gripped the controls, tight, trying to control his temper. The new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. knew it was going to be a challenge working with convicted killers, but this young punk was pushing his luck.

"Okay…" Jason grinned, smugly. "Abdel ben Galli."

Hill looked confused. "Abdel ben Galli? He was a member of _ISIS."_

"Yeah, I _know."_ Jason chuckled. "But before that, he was a _candidate_ for the League of the Hand. I _trained_ with him. But when he couldn't _cut it,_ he headed home to the Middle-East to join up with bin Laden. He and his battalion invaded an Israeli providence, S.H.I.E.L.D. was the first to _respond._ Nearly wiped out _half_ of them before Abdel took a hostage. And _you_ killed him."

Hill growled in frustration at the Eradicator's use of words. But rather than letting his emotions get the best of him, he went for a more diplomatic approach. "No…" He breathed, steadily. "I _saved the hostage."_

"Eh, pretty sure _Abdel_ would have a _different opinion_ about that." Jason finished.

The Director smiled to himself. If that was how the kid wanted to play it, so be it. "Big talk coming from a guy who calls himself _'the Eradicator.'_ Or, do you mind if I call you _Francis Todd, Jr.?"_ Jason's smile disappeared as his eyes widened. Rick went on. "Oh, yeah, muchacho. I know _all_ about your past. So does _Fury._ Your old man was a _hitman_ for the mob who tried to get _out._ When they threatened to kill him and the rest of your family, he used his own connections to move you all to New Gotham under new identities. Of course, the plan didn't save you from getting caught in the crossfire of a local gang war, but by the time Matthew Wayne adopted you the name _'Jason Castle'_ had already stuck."

Jason fell silent as Hill smiled in triumph. _"Director Rick Hill…"_ He thought to himself, bitterly. _"You just made my list."_

* * *

At last, the group came upon the US/Mexico border, where H.I.D.R.A.'s base was allegedly stationed. Hill landed the aircraft near the forest, and the squadron headed out to the laboratory. Hill took out a device and pointed it towards the building. "Whatcha doin'?" Harley leaned on his shoulder.

"I'm trying to detect how many possible hostiles are currently inside." He answered, smacking the box, angrily. "But this _damn thing_ won't work."

"There's _twenty-five_ people in there. _Five_ surrounding the clone." Snowblind cut in.

"How do _you_ know that?" Waylon lifted a curious eyebrow.

"I can see _heat signatures."_ She explained.

"Alright then." Hill shrugged, tossing the device aside. "Castle, Kingsley; you're with _me._ Wilson-"

"And one person _behind_ us!" She shouted. Everyone turned around, ready to face whoever had snuck up on them. Much to their relief, it was the very person who had sent them the video.

"Dr. Banner?" Hill surmised.

"Yes… are you here to rescue my son?" The tired scientist asked.

"We will ensure that you are both taken care of." The Director promised. "When we storm the facility, we'll try to get him out without any loss of life."

"And if all else fails, we can just _murder_ everyone without him gettin' hurt, right?" Projectile offered.

"NO! You can't!" Betty pleaded, desperately. "He's… he's not _entirely_ like Hyperman."

"What do you mean?" Mick asked, calmly.

"The process we used to create him was _flawed."_ She elaborated. "The Radonian DNA only makes up _fifty percent_ of his physiology. The rest is… _human._ We gathered samples of DNA from _multiple_ subjects to stabilize his genetic makeup. Max von Havoc. Lois Brant. Even _my husband_ and _myself._ And because of this, he doesn't have… may _never_ have Radonian powers."

Mayhem sounded perplexed and annoyed. "Then what use is he to _H.I.D.R.A.?"_

"Well, that's what the _gamma experiments_ were for." Betty went on. "We thought, perhaps, it would serve as a _substitute_ for his inability to channel solar radiation into his powers. But instead it… it… oh, my poor baby…" She sobbed.

"It's alright, ma'am." Mick put his arms around her. "We'll take care of ya."

"Alright, so going in with guns blazing isn't an option." Hill ordered. "We'll have to be _stealthy_ about this. Blazer, Mayhem, Eradicator, Projectile and Harley will come with me and save the kid. Rock and Snowblind, stay here and watch over Dr. Banner."

As the strike force left, Betty cautiously lanced at the people designated to protect her. Waylon growled at her, making her stumble backwards in fear. Alicia chuckled at the act. "You're a funny guy, Waylon." She complimented.

"Thanks, Alicia…" He smiled.

When Rick's team reached the outside of the facility, Blazer reluctantly adjusted the dials on his gauntlets and silently cut through the steel wall. They quietly snuck through the halls, undetected, until they came upon the surveillance room. Eradicator went in first, shooting the guard in the head, then helping Captain Projectile hide the body. "Alright, we took care of _him._ But what happens when someone comes in to take his place?" Harley brought up.

"Loop the footage." Mick offered.

"Say that again?" Rick asked, sounding surprised.

"The recluse found a voice!" Mayhem laughed.

"Quiet, you!" Rick snapped. "What did you say, Blaze?"

"Loop the security footage so that nobody can see us." Mick went on.

"Not a bad idea, Smokie!" Harley complemented.

Rick skimmed his fingers over the control board, carrying out Blazer's suggestion. Once the video feed was properly looped, they snuck past the rest of the guards, and entered the laboratory. Projectile peaked around the corner, spotting the five men surrounding the tall, glass cylinder. The Australian saw Eradicator, Harley, and Rick prepare their own weapons, and grabbed a pen from his coat. "Oy, mates… I'll take the one on the _far right._ Which _eye_ should I aim for?"

"Which one would be the most _challenging?"_ Harley whispered.

"From _this_ angle? Using a _ball-point?"_ He thought out loud. "Mmmm… _left_ eye."

"Left, then." Harley nodded.

"Alright, on my signal…" Hill ordered. "Now!"

The quartet quickly rounded the corner and took out four of the guards. The last one rushed to trigger the alarm, but Mayhem gunned him down. "Thanks for _helping,_ dumbass." He glared at Blazer.

"Cut the chatter." Rick ordered. "Let's get the clone and get _out_ of here."

Harley walked over to the cylinder, fiddling with the computer, before ultimately giving up and smashing it with a hammer. The glass door slide open, with a viscous liquid pouring out from it, followed by a skinny teenage boy with dark hair. The boy woke with a start, coughing and spluttering as he tried to catch his breath.

"Ya, gotta be _kiddin'_ me!" Harley scoffed. _"This_ is a clone of Hyperman? The _big, hunky man-meat_ from the Justice Legion? _I_ could beat him up!"

The young clone looked up at his liberators with an anxious expression. "P-please… please, y-you… you _have_ to listen to me. You _have_ to get me _out_ of here, quickly!" Conner struggled to stand up; almost slipping in the liquid that had previously kept him dormant. "You have _no idea_ what these people have turned me into. If they manage to _weaponize_ it, innocent people will _die."_

"So we should just _kill you,_ now, is what you're saying?" Mayhem chuckled, aiming his laser-gun at the boy.

"Freeze!" A voice shouted.

The group spun around, finding that they were surrounded. Projectile tried to reach for a weapon, only to be shot in the chest and killed. Rick raised his hands in surrender, prompting the others to do the same.

"Oh, no…" Conner's voice cracked. "It's too late…"

 **To Be Continued!**


	91. Worst Heroes Ever part 3

**Chapter XXX: Worst. Heroes. Ever! Part 3**

 _ **Queens, New York. 2015.**_

 _Mick Schultz pocketed his father's revolver in his trenchcoat and did his best to stop shaking. He had never used a gun before, and prayed that he wouldn't have to. But after his father's accident on the job that cost him his death, he was now the man of the family and had to take care of his mother, who had taken ill. He had dropped out of school to take up any work he could find. When there was no legitimate workforce that would hire him, he adopted an alias and looked for work in the criminal underworld, under Emperor Penguin._

 _"Herman Rory?" A voice brought him out of his thoughts. His new partner had met him at the time agreed._

 _"Yeah, that's me." He replied, gruffly._

 _"Okay, then. You know the drill; give me ten minutes to crack the safe in that wrestling arena, then you nab a getaway car. Nothing that calls attention, got it?"_

 _"Yeah… I got it." Mick nodded. After ten minutes had passed, he looked around for a subtle escape vehicle. At last, he spotted an old, worn out car with an old man inside, parked on near the arena. As Mick slowly marched towards the car, he was starting to have second thoughts about this. Would he really be willing to kill an old man?_

 _Ultimately, he decided that his mother's health was more important. Besides, maybe he could just scare the old man into running away. He tapped the barrel against the driver's window, making him jump. Then, he forced the door open and aimed his weapon at him. "Gimme the car, old man!" He ordered._

 _But to his surprise, the man saw how his hands shook from holding the pistol, and gave him the most sympathetic look he had ever seen. "Son? Are you alright?" He asked._

 _"W-what?" Mick stuttered; he was even more nervous, now. "J-just gimme your car…! Please?"_

 _The man didn't look scared in the slightest as he got out of the vehicle and looked Mick in the eyes. "Look… I don't know what it was that forced you to do this, but it's_ not too late _to stop." He told him, calmly. "You look as if you're only a few years older than my nephew, so it must've been something_ serious, _but things_ will _get better. I promise. I won't tell anyone about this. Just… put down the gun, and go_ home."

 _"Herman!" Mick's partner ran up behind him with a bag of cash, startling him. Unfortunately, the gun was still in his hand, and he impulsively pulled the trigger. His face turned white as a ghost as the man fell to the ground._

 _"No!" Mick dropped the gun and fell to his knees to help the injured man. "Somebody call an ambulance!"_

" _What're you doing?!" His partner picked up the gun and got in the car. Realizing that Mick wouldn't come with him, the crook drove off in a haste._

 _It didn't take long for the police to arrive, creating a perimeter to keep civilians away. But Mick stayed behind to continue helping in any way he could. But it was no use; without proper medical attention, he was as good as dead. Just then, someone was trying to force his way through the crowd, in an attempt to see what all the commotion was about._

 _Mick dared to look up, and saw who it was. A young teenager, no older than fifteen, with long, auburn hair was trying to get a good look at what happened. When he saw who was on the ground, his hazel eyes started to water, and his resolve to get through grew stronger._

 _"Stop!" The policeman shouted. "Kid, stop! Stay back!"_

 _"Oh, my God! That's my uncle!" The kid pushed himself past the cops and knelt down beside the injured man. Mick backed away to give him space. The criminal felt a horrible knot twisting in his stomach as he saw the anguish on his face. "What happened?!" The boy sobbed._

 _"Car jacker. He's been shot." One cop answered. "We've called the paramedics, but… I don't think they'll get here in time."_

 _"U-uncle Jay?" The boy stammered, trying to coax his uncle to look at him. "Uncle Jay…? Uncle Jay?"_

 _At last, the old man forced his eyes open, and he smiled, weakly, at his nephew. "Bart…"_

 _"I-I'm_ here, _Uncle Jay…" Bart whimpered, holding his dying uncle's hand, firmly. "I'm right here."_

 _"B-Bart…?" Jay's eyes shut for a final time, as his hand slipped from Bart's. The teenager buried his face into Jay's chest, wetting his bloodied shirt._

 _Suddenly, the police radio sounded off from the car._ ["We have spotted the shooter! Suspect is driving a red 2012 Toyota Corolla, heading down Fifth Avenue! Officers in pursuit!"]

 _Mick nearly stumbled backwards in fear as Bart lifted his head from the man's chest. The boy's eyes burned with a vengeful passion and he growled in anger. He got up from the pavement, and ran as fast as he could, away from the crime scene. Mick sighed, knowing that he'd just lucked out of being pegged for a crime. There was no way his partner could have led the police to him; not after all the precautions he had taken before working with him. He put his hands in his pockets, and began the trek back home to his mother._

 _But he'd never be able to walk away from the guilt of what he'd done._

* * *

 **Puerta Este, Mexico. Present Day.**

The throbbing in Blazer's head made it hard for him to stand up without feeling dizzy. Propping himself up against the chain-link cage, he noticed that his weapons were no longer on him. Suddenly, he remembered that A.I.M. had ambushed his team and taken them captive, along with Hyperman's clone. As his vision began to clear, he could see the others waking up.

"Most _disappointing,_ FAS-MLE." A cold voice echoed. "Most disappointing, _indeed._ I look _forward_ to personally _reprogramming_ your brain. _After_ Mastergirl has her way with you, of course. As for the _rest_ of you, once we find out who sent you, you will be brought to Commander Blizzardkrieg for execution."

Even after the scientist left, Conner was still trembling from his threatening tone. It made Mick wonder just what these people had put him through. Mayhem was too busy thinking of different ways to Kill Fury for putting him in this situation. As for Rick, he was adjusting the hidden comm-link in his watch to contact their back up plan.

Harley turned her attention to the man she helped kill. "What's it like?" She asked.

Jason didn't look at her, but he acknowledged the question. "What's _what_ like?"

"Dying." She clarified, earning an incredulous look from the vigilante. "I just figured ya'd have _unique perspective."_

Jason snorted. "Well… it's actually kinda _funny._ The _first time_ I thought I was gonna die -when my dad's dead body fell on top of me, and I watched my mom and sister get gunned down- I felt _so many things_ all at once. _Shock. Fear. Anger. Grief…_ but when your boyfriend left me in that warehouse, barely able to stand, staring at that digital timer, knowing for a _fact_ that I was going to die… I didn't feel _any_ of those things."

"What _did_ you feel, then?" Harley tilted her head, eager to hear his response.

"... _lonely,_ I guess." Jason shrugged. "Yeah… that sounds about right. As if everyone I _loved_ was a million miles _away._ I mean, don't get me _wrong,_ I hate you _all,_ but at least _this time_ I've got _company."_

" _Charmed."_ Mayhem spat, sarcastically.

"And for the _record…"_ Harley interjected. "He is _not_ my boyfriend, anymore. He's a _jerk._ I just wish I could see it a little bit _earlier._ But at least _one_ good thing came out of our relationship; I met the _real_ man and woman of my dreams." Tears started to stain through her mask. "Nathan… Pammie… I'd give _anything_ to see 'em again one more time… but when I got _sick,_ I made the _second biggest mistake_ of my life… now, they wouldn't _have me_ if they ever saw me."

Blazer pulled off his mask, revealing his own saddened expression. As he gazed down at the flame-retardant fabric, his mind took him back to the day he first stitched it together. "I was only _twenty years old_ when my dad died on the job." He told the others, solemnly. "Not long after the funeral, my momma got _sick._ If I'd just stayed in _school_ and tried to get an _honest job,_ I coulda gotten the money ta _take care_ of her. But I was _young,_ and _scared,_ and _stupid."_ He angrily threw the mask to the other side of the cell, cracking one of the lenses in his goggles. "All I wanted was to do _right_ by my family… but my momma ended up _dyin'_ while I was out tryin' ta be a _super-thug._ This is what I _deserve."_

"Slow down, drama-queen." Eradicator stood up. "Maybe _you_ deserve to die here, but _I_ don't."

"Well, you're _lucky_ you won't _have_ to." Hill stated, pointing to the growing patch of ice spreading on the wall. Once every brick was encased in ice, a fist comprised of orange rock shattered it.

"Ya'll comin', or _what?"_ Killer Rock grumbled.

"My heroes!" Harley jumped up and planted a wet, juicy kiss on both villains.

"Mom!" Conner quickly leapt to his feet and hugged his surrogate mother. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She promised him. "But we have to _move,_ quickly."

"Well, the rendezvous point is _fifty miles_ past the border in California." Hill replied. "So we better get moving, _now."_

After the group gathered their confiscated weapons, Mayhem made certain that no one would be following them by throwing a few grenades at the facility's fuel depot. Once they crossed the border, they passed a sign that read "Welcome to Echo Creek." Not long after, Harley spotted an easier mode of transportation. Sticking her finger and thumb in her mouth, she whistled, loudly, and yelled at the driver.

Against their better judgement, Task Force Thunderbolt was now crammed inside a taxi cab, heading as fast as they could allow to the rendezvous point. Conner sat on Betty's lap, like a nervous child, Mayhem, Hill, Blazer, and Snowblind struggled to get comfortable next to them, Blazer was sitting in the passenger seat up front, while Harley sat in the middle, right next to the driver, and Killer Rock was sitting on top of the roof.

"And _that_ is why, in _my_ opinion, _Alien: Resurrection_ is the _worst_ of the entire franchise." Harley concluded as she counted her bullets.

"Uh… Ms. Sin?" Star asked, cautiously. "Who're these colorful people?"

"Colorful, but _deadly."_ Harley explained. "Y'see, my _caramel-brown friend_ in the military fatigues has made a deal with me. I agree to help him deliver this nerdy mama's-boy to New York, and in _return,_ he said he'd _consider_ getting me out of _time out._ But enough about _me,_ girl! How're _you?!_ Any luck with Marco?"

"I-I'm _sorry,_ Ms. Sin." Star shook her head. "I tried to hold tight, like you said, but Marco _really_ likes Jackie Lynn Thomas."

"Aw…" Harley pouted under her mask and lightly pinched Star's cheek. "Well, _I_ think you're pretty darn _cute."_ Just then, the taxi ran over a pothole, and a terrified scream came from the rear of the cab. "... uh, Star? What was _that?"_

"Uh… _that_ was…" Star smiled, weakly. "Oskar… i-in the trunk."

"Oskar?" Hill cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes! My attempted rebound jerk boyfriend, Oskar!" Star's tone grew more vivid and lively. "I'm doing what you said, Ms. Sin! I will _gut_ Oskar like a fish and win Marco's heart!"

Harley looked back at her commanding officer, who glared at her, angrily. "I did _not_ tell her to do that! Absolutely not! She got lost in translation!" Then, she turned her attention to the driver. "Star! This is _not_ the way to win Marco's heart! This is _dangerous! Reckless!_ And _very, very illegal! I'msoproudofyou!_ Now, after you drop us off, I want you to turn this _big, yellow taxi_ around, take Oskar home, and set him down, _gently! Killhim!_ Then, go talk to Jackie Lynn Thomas, and explain to her your feelings! _Lockherinherownhouse!_ And then, win Marco back! The _old fashioned way,_ with your _girlish charms_ and _sweet, bubbly personality! Kidnaphim_ … _!"_

At last, Star brought them as close to their destination as the road would allow. Mayhem quickly opened the door, desperate to get out of the tight space. "Okay, guys! Let's finish this mission!" Harley cheered, enthusiastically, before turning to Star. "You know what to do…" She waved her finger over her neck, then gave her friend a proud high-five.

* * *

Five minutes after the cab left, a S.H.I.E.L.D. airship soared through the air, and hovered down to pick them up. But before they could enter, a blast of green energy shattered the craft. The Thunderbolts gasped in shock as their ticket home crashed to the ground.

"You didn't think it was going to be _that_ easy, did you?" The group turned around to see the sinister H.I.D.R.A. clone of Captain Hyper, accompanied by a dozen agents. "Fire!" She ordered.

Instinctively, Killer Rock threw himself on top of Snowblind, shielding her with his impenetrable hide. Hill, Harley, Eradicator, and Mayhem returned fire, while Blazer did his best to give them some breathing room with a wall of flames.

Unfortunately, a single bullet made its way past them, and struck the heart of the former A.I.M. scientist. "Mom!" Conner shouted, and tried his best to treat her wound. But it was no good; the damage was already done. But Dr. Betty Banner was happy that the last thing she saw was her greatest creation, and how much he truly loved her.

"Mom…?" Conner gasped as he wiped the blood and tears off of his face. Suddenly, his fear subsided as he gazed at the H.I.D.R.A. agents that had invaded. Adrenaline started pumping through his veins, as a primal instinct began to take over. "You shouldn't have made me _angry…"_ He growled. "People… don't _like_ me… when I'm _angry!"_

As his rage continued to build up, his vision became blurry, his teeth clenched together, his mind became clouded, and his muscles started to expand and tighten. Everyone else grew visibly shocked as the clone's transformation went on. His flesh lost it's pigmentation, turning into a pale gray with blue veins spreading over him. His skin-tight suit was stretched to its limit; only what was below his waist remained covered. Hyperman's insignia was shown to have been burned into his chest, in a sideways position, as his muscles continued to grow. At last, Conner Banner was gone, leaving a hulking monster of pure rage in his place.

The monster let out an anguished wail before rushing towards the terrorists. Mastergirl planted her feet, firmly, and held him back with all her might. But her despite her own previous enhancements, the monster was too strong for her. It broke free from her grip and brought his mighty fists down on her, breaking a few of her bones in the process.

"Hybrid… _SMASH!"_ He roared.

"Aw, _hell."_ Rick muttered as he sent out a distress signal. "What have I gotten myself into."

The agents now focused all of their firepower on the monster, but it was no good. He shrugged off the bullets as if they were nothing, and charged at his enemies in his fit of rage. Blood stained the desert sand, and bones could be heard snapping in his grasp

"We gotta get him under control!" Hill ordered as he sent out a distress beacon..

The Hybrid continued with his rampage, brutally crushing the H.I.D.R.A. intruders without mercy or restraint. "You… kill... _mommy!_ You… am… _bad people!_ Me… want to… _kill you!"_

Eradicator and Rock were the first to engage. The former thought he would be strong enough to overpower the creature and beat him into submission. "It's _clobberin' time,_ asshole!" He shouted. He managed to get a few good punches in, but ultimately, Hybrid threw him into Eradicator and Snowblind, taking all three of them out of the fight.

"Die!" Harley Sin shouted as she fired on the clone in an attempt to bring him under control. But in this new monstrous form, Conner appeared to have finally developed Hyperman's invulnerable skin. Regardless, she continued her barrage of bullets. "Die! Die! Die, die, die!"

At last, Hybrid acknowledged her pestering and stomped over to her. Blazer rushed to her aide, tackling her out of the way just in time. The cloned Radonian took a deep breath just as Blazer pumped his fist in his direction, and a thick stream of fire erupted from his mouth. Blazer instinctively pressed the trigger on his gauntlet, literally fighting fire with fire. "Get going!" Mick shouted, helping Harley to her feet. "This job's gone out of control! Run! _Run!"_

As they ran, Hybrid's eyes flashed with a dazzling blue energy, and dual streams of ice shot out from his eyes. The concentrated cryogenic blasts jammed Blazer's weapon, forcing him to retreat. Luckily, Harley had circled around Hybrid and jumped on his back. "Who wants snacks?! _You_ do!" She pried his mouth open with all the strength and pushed a grenade inside.

The explosion shook the compound, and a thick blanket of smoke filled the area. "And they lived _happily ever after...!_ Except the Hybrid." Harley chuckled.

"Sin… all you did was make him _angrier."_ Mayhem stated.

Sure enough, Hybrid could be heard spitting out the shards of the explosive. Another roar of anger shook the Task Force to their cores. "RAAAAAAAGH! Talking girl… _hurt_ Hybrid… Hybrid _rip off…_ talking girl's… _HEAD!"_

"My head?" Harley squeaked as the clone stomped after her. "Aw, crap."

"He's all _yours,_ Einstein." Mayhem muttered as he picked up the maniac, preparing to throw her at the monstrous creation.

"Wait, _no!_ Kingsley, _don't!"_ Harley begged. "We're _friends!_ We're _friends!_ No! _NOOOOOOOOO!"_

Hybrid slapped Sin away and charged at the Griffin-powered mercenary. But once he got close enough, Mayhem unsheathed his sword and made a deep cut on the clone's arm. "RAAAGH!" He recoiled in pain. "Ugly man _cut_ Hybrid!"

"I was always _disappointed_ that I lost the chance to kill Hyperman to some _monster."_ Mayhem smirked as he prepared for another attack. "I was afraid I'd _never_ get to use this _radonite-lace katana."_

Hybrid growled and tried to grab Mayhem again. But the mercenary had a distinct advantage when it came to agility, and he easily dodged the enraged monster. Blazer did his best to draw Hybrid's attention with his other gauntlet. "Fireman… _annoying!"_

"Enough!" A voice bellowed from the air, followed by a sonic boom. Captain Hyper landed in front of Hybrid, giving him a glare that could cut through steel faster than her plasma-blasts. "So… _this_ is what those monsters did with my cousin's blood?"

Hybrid looked confused before a faint memory came to his twisted mind. A memory of a teenage girl flying with him. Or at least, a different version of him. "Hybrid… _remembers_ you…" He pointed.

"No. My _cousin_ remembers me." Captain Hyper's tone was colder than her freeze-breath. "But you're _not_ my cousin. You're an _imposter._ A _disgrace_ to the House of Ran."

Hybrid looked hurt by her words. "Blonde girl… _hate_ Hybrid?" And as quickly as it started, his rage began to subside. As his temper calmed down, his grotesque form began to shrink away, until he reverted back to Conner Banner and collapsed from exhaustion.

"Director Hill." Hyper breathed. "See to it that you keep _this one_ under tight lock and key."

"You got it, Karen." Hill nodded. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s command was relieved to see that the fight with Hybrid had worn the Squadron out to the point that they wouldn't be able to resist going back to prison. He took out his phone and dialed the Secretary of Defense. "Amanda? It's Rick. You can tell President Walters that Task Force Thunderbolt's first mission was a _success."_

"Congratulations, Rick." Amanda praised. "Wait until you get the convicts back to Belle Reve. _Then_ you can tell they've shaved five years off their sentences.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Mastergirl aka Kara Lohmer(Master Man/Overgirl)**

 **Dr. Miles Hamilton(Miles Warren/Emil Hamilton)**

 **Hybrid(The Hulk/Bizarro)**

"Hey, guys! It's me, again!" Harley speaks to the reader. "I thought maybe some of you might be wondering how many more chapters this fanfic has left. Well, I've talked with FLASHFAN123, and he says that although he can't give me an exact number, there's only a _few more_ story arcs left before the grand finally. So, bellow, in a bold font, are the next story arcs that will lead up to the epic conclusion, and all the people/teams who star in them! Please leave a review for the sake of this boy's fragile self-esteem, and see if you can convince him to make me appear at least one more time before he ends it. _Love ya!"_

 **Chapter XXXI: How to be a Hero! (Black Beetle/Emerald Man)**

 **Chapter XXXII: Atlantis' Reconing! (Aqua-Mariner/Flag)**

 **Chapter XXXIII: Incredible! (Hybrid/X-Patrol)**

 **Chapter XXXIV: Space Odyssey! (Legends of the Galaxy)**

 **Chapter XXXV: Infinity Crisis! (Justice Legion of Avengers/X-Patrol/Legends of the Galaxy)**


	92. How to Be A Hero Prelude

**Chapter XXXI: How To Be A Hero! Prelude**

 _ **Colombia, Mexico. December 25, 2008.**_

 _Jamie Morales was frantically searching for his family as the panicked crowd surrounded him. What was supposed to be his family's first Christmas with his uncle Aaron turned into a disaster when the ground split apart and an army of lava monsters started attacking._

 _"Mama?! Papi?! Tio Aaron?! Marigold?!" He called out, desperately. But it was no use; his family was nowhere in sight. The poor boy felt ready to start crying until someone he loved found him. Luckily, as the chaos continued, his older sister, Marigold, finally spotted him in the confusion._

 _"Jaime!" She called. "Jaime, ven aqui, ahora!"_

 _The siblings ran towards each other with open arms, thankful that they found each other. After tight embrace, the duo tried to find their parents. But the chaos was only making it harder for them to stay together. Out of nowhere, a blob of lava flew through the air and landed on Marigold's leg. The Hispanic teen cried out in pain as her flesh melted away. Jaime gently helped his sister lay down near a palm tree, unsure of how he could help her._

 _Suddenly, the monster that launched the lava spotted them and slowly began to stomp after them. Jaime's instincts told him to run, but seeing his sister in so much pain compelled him to do something to protect her. Gathering up all the courage he could manage, Jamie picked up a stick and stood in front of his injured sister. Holding the makeshift weapon like a baseball bat, he prepared himself to strike the flaming monster. But the creature didn't look intimidated by the youth's gesture, and continued to pace its way over to him. At last, when it was close enough, Jaime swung his arms and struck the beast._

 _A brilliant flash of green light exploded on the monster's tough hide just as the wood made contact. Jaime jumped in surprise as the creature was sent flying through the air. The boy turned around and saw a tall man, clad in shining, green armor with a glowing bat in his hand._

 _"Aya, I've got a girl here who needs immediate attention." Emerald Man spoke to his A.I., who hacked into a hospital's computer and sent an ambulance to their location. "Nice work, kid." He nodded at Jamie and proceeded to attack the lava monsters._

 _The boy stared in awe as the armored superhero as he used his technology to create light-based weapons against the creatures. "Jaime! Marigold!" A voice called out, earning the boy's attention._

 _"Tio Aaron!" Jaime opened his arms wide, accepting his beloved uncle's reassuring hug. As the sound of a siren came from the distance, the boy continued to watch his hero battle monsters._

 _("Someday… I'm gonna be_ just like Emerald Man!") _He whispered._

 _ **Nine Months Ago, JLA Headquarters, New York, NY.**_

 _("There comes a time in every boy's life when he must become a man…") Jaime narrated for his phone's video recorder as he was led through Tony Jordan's laboratory. ("And for_ me, today _is that_ day. _No longer will I be neglected by the superhero community. It's time for me to come out of my shell, and-")_

 _"What're you doing?" Harold "Happy" Gardner, Tony's chief operating officer, interrupted when he noticed the boy falling behind._

 _"Uh, just… making a little video." Jaime stammered, nervously._

 _"You know you can't_ show _it to anybody, right?"_

 _"Yeah, of course."_

 _"Then why are you talking like that?"_

 _"It sounds cool." Jaime shrugged and the duo carried on through the lab. "So, hey, why do they call you 'Happy'?" The gruff COO rolled his eyes and ignored the question, moving forward. Jaime turned back to his phone. ("Okay, yeah, he doesn't wanna talk. So, anyway, I don't really know_ why _I'm in New York. All I know is, it's got something to do with the Flag going_ crazy _or something.")_

 _"Okay… here's where you'll be staying for now." Happy opened a door, revealing a luxurious bedroom. "Suit up, the boss will be here, shortly."_

 _"Okay! Cool!" Jaime beamed. He set his phone down and dug into his backpack. Undressing quickly, he slipped on his crudely stitched costume and held up his phone again as he stood in front of the room's mirror. "Alright, signing off for now, I gotta go-"_

 _"What're you wearing?" Happy looked at Jaime's costume in disgust and annoyance._

 _"Wha-you told me to put on my suit?"_

 _"Not_ that _suit! Didn't you see the briefcase?" Happy opened another door, leading to a larger room with a couch and a television. On the coffee table in the center was a large briefcase with a note on top._

 _"Whoa! This is all part of my room? This is bigger than my_ house!"

 _"Put the suit on! Let's go!" Happy ordered and marched out._

 _"Wait, but… wha-what's this?" He picked up the note, studying it, quizzically. "'A minor upgrade'?" He put the card back on the table and pressed a button on the side of the suitcase. A thin stream of light scanned over his body, stopping once it reached the alien Scarab implanted in the back of his neck._

["Alien technology verified. Scanning…"] _A monotone voice came from the speakers built into the case._

 _("Scanning?") Jaime questioned. ("Wh-what're you scanning me fo-?")_

["Scan complete. Nanobots synchronized to alien apparatus."] _The case popped open, releasing a burst of compressed air as it revealed it's contents. Miniature robots quickly weaved themselves into a sleek, black costume that appeared to be loosely based on Jaime's._

 _("WHOA! Oh, my God! Look at this! I-Is this_ mine?! _I get to_ wear _this?!")_

 _"Put it on! Let's go!" Happy groaned outside._

 _Jaime quickly put the new suit on and ran outside with enthusiasm. ("Oh, my God! This is the coolest thing that's ever happened to me!")_

 _A few hours later, after the fight, Jaime returned to his room and reactivated his phone's camera. ("THAT WAS INSANE! Mr. Jordan_ totally _set me up for that intro! I just jumped out of nowhere, and these_ wings _popped outta my back, and I stole Flag's_ shield, _and I was all like, 'what up, y'all!' And then-") A knock on the door interrupted him. Flipping over his bed, he opened the door to reveal Happy's tired face. "Hey, what's up?"_

 _"These are_ thin walls, _kid." Happy grunted._

 _Two days later, Jaime was back in Mexico, riding next to Tony Jordan in his limousine on the way to his house. "Whatcha got there, kid? Doin' a little video diary?"_

 _"I told him he couldn't show it to anyone." Happy called from the driver seat._

 _"No, no. That's_ good. _We should probably make an_ alibi video _for your parents." Tony took off his glasses and scooted closer to Jaime._

 _"Okay! Sure!" Jaime angled his phone so that the two of them were in view._

 _"Hey there, Jefferson. Bianca." Tony started. "Hope you're not having_ too much _fun while Jaime was away. I'd hate for us to drop him off and he finds you two on the couch. Pfft-hahaha!" Jaime gagged at the crude joke as he deleted the recording. "Okay, yeah, no. That's_ inappropriate. _Let's try again. Ahem… Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Morales. I just wanted to tell you what a_ great job _Jaime did on our little retreat. We are looking forward to having him in the Jordan Internship, and maybe someday, a part of the Jordan Industries' family."_

 _"Okay, we're here." Happy pressed his foot against the brakes, stopping in front of Jaime's home._

 _"Great. Hey, if it's not too much trouble, could you get the kid's suit out of the back for him?"_

 _Jaime dropped his phone in surprise as his eyes widened. "I… I can keep the suit?"_

 _"Yeah, of course. Won't fit_ me." _Tony chuckled._

 _"O-okay! So, hey, uh… when's the next, y'know, 'retreat'?" Jaime smiled as he motioned with his fingers._

 _"The next_ mission? _We'll call you."_

 _"Okay, you wanna give me your number, or-"_

 _"No, no,_ we'll _call_ you." _Tony clarified. "Look, do me a favor, okay? Happy is your liason, so try not to stress him out."_

 _"Alright… what, uh, what should I do until then?"_

 _"Uh, just stay close to the_ ground. _Y'know?" Tony explained. "Just help out the little guy. Be a friendly_ neighborhood _superhero. Long story short, just… don't do anything I_ would _do."_

 _"Okay."_

 _"Oh, but definitely don't do anything I_ wouldn't _do." Jaime opened his mouth to reply, but he was having trouble trying to understand the absurd request. Tony realized what he said and went on."There is a_ little, gray area _somewhere in there, and that's where_ you _operate. Okay?"_

 _Jaime nodded, earning a pat on the back from his mentor. Once he stepped out of the limo, Happy sped away with Tony, leaving Jaime with his new suit and a feeling of satisfaction._

 _("I'm an Avenger…") He said to himself, happily. ("Hehe… I'm an Avenger.")_

* * *

 **Colombia, Mexico. Present Day…**

Jaime typed on his phone as he made his way to the neighborhood bodega to buy his lunch. For the past nine months, he had been asking Happy if anything had come up in the superhero community that needed his attention, but none of his messages received any replies. Sighing heavily, he focused on getting to school.

"Okay, Scarab…" He spoke, softly, to the robotic voice that came from the alien device in his neck. "Which test do I have today? Chemistry?"

 _["Chemistry."]_ The Scarab defined. _["The branch of science of matter composition identification, studying their properties and ways in which they interact, change, and combine. Not compatible."]_

("Not compatible with _what?!")_ Jaime huffed. ("I swear, I don't understand _half_ the things you say- _YEOW!")_ The teenager narrowly jumped out of the way before another student nearly ran him over.

("Quit talking to yourself and watch where you're going, Mixed Morales!")

("Ugh… I _hate_ that name.") Jaime muttered to himself. Being the child of a Hispanic woman and an African man had earned him much prejudice throughout his life. However, after he lost his sister, the insults never seemed to bother him anymore. As he made his way through the halls, he ignored the mocking glares and rude remarks until he reached his locker. Gathering up the books he'd need for the first half of the day, someone snuck up behind him, breathing heavily. A LEGO Darth Vader hovered over his shoulder.

("Join me, and _together…_ we will build my new LEGO Star Destroyer!") It was Jaime's best, and only friend, Hector Ganke.

("Seriously?") Jaime beamed. ("That is _awesome!_ How many pieces?!")

("Three thousand, one hundred, and fifty-two.") Hector replied. ("You wanna come over tonight and help me build it?")

Jaime desperately wanted to agree, but he fought against his childish urge. ("Sorry, man. I _can't._ I'm busy, tonight.")

("With _what?")_ Hector snorted. ("You've quit _band club, chess club, math club._ What could you _possibly_ be busy with? And _don't_ say-")

("The Jordan Internship!") Jaime interrupted. ("If Mr. Jordan needs me for something, I can't get distracted.")

("Well, alright then. Maybe next time.")

As the day crawled along, Jaime anxiously waited for the clock to strike three so that he could leave the school. At last, when the final bell rang, he bolted out of the door, ran to the nearest alley, hid his backpack, and concentrated on the Scarab. The nanites crawled over his body from head to toe, until he was fully transformed into Black Beetle.

Minutes turned to hours as he went on his usual patrol; keeping an eye out for prowlers, burglars, and street thugs. Finally, at seven o'clock, he perched himself on a building's ledge to enjoy his sandwich before fishing his phone out of his pocket.

 _["Recall, Jaime Morales!"]_ The Scarab reasoned. _["Past experience shows that the Happy Gardener does not acknowledge your daily messages."]_

"Who knows, Scarab?" Jaime shrugged. "Maybe this time will be different."

 _["This is Harold Gardner. Please leave a message."]_ The dial tone came from the receiver.

"H-hi, Happy!" Jaime stuttered into his cell phone, groaning internally as Scarab was proven right. "I'm just giving my daily progress reports! Uh, let's see, I stopped somebody from stealing a bike. But, I couldn't find the owner, so I just left a note. Uh, I helped this old lady find her way to the bodega. She bought me a _churro,_ that was nice. But, uh… so, yeah. Nothing really big going on. So, I'm ready for the next Avengers mission! Y'know, whenever you need me, I'm available. Oh, uh, this is _Jaime,_ by the way… _Morales… Black Beetle…_ okay, bye."

He hung up on the voicemail and groaned in frustration. ("Why did I mention the churro?")

 _["Disappointment often leads to unforeseen actions, Jaime Morales."]_

("That was _rhetorical,_ Scarab!") Jaime grunted. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Jaime spotter a group of masked men sneaking into an ATM vestibule. ("Hero time!") He cheered, and leapt into action.

As he glided closer, he could see that the men were wearing crude masks based on the JLA and carried bizarre devices. One of which, cut around the base of the ATMs so as to not trigger the alarms, and another hacked into the computer chips to dispense the money. Jaime quietly entered the vestibule and leaned against the door.

"Hey, guys." He said, plainly, making the group turn around. "Wait a minute! You're not the _real_ Justice Legion! I can tell, Thunder Woman gives it away." A small cannon formed around Black Beetle's right hand and blasted one of the thieves through the glass wall.

As the alarm finally went off, the other thugs charged at Black Beetle, who converted the cannon into a melee weapon and proceeded to knock them around. One thief, however, picked up one of the weapons and aimed it at the hero. Jaime spotted him just in time to knock the weapon out of his hands, but it went off as it hit the ground. A powerful beam of purple energy shot out from the machine, demolishing the bodega across the street.

"Senor Sanchez!" Jaime whispered to himself. Letting the criminals get away, he rushed over to the store to search for anyone who might be hurt. After making sure that Sanchez was safe, he rushed back to the crime scene, only to find that the crooks had left. But before he decided to head home for the night, he looked down as he felt something underneath his foot.

A glowing piece of machinery flashed, brightly, drawing his attention. Black Beetle assumed that it must have been part of the odd weapon he had damaged. He put the glowing technology in his pocket, and headed home.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Black Beetle aka Jaime Morales(Miles Morales/Jaime Reyes)**

 **Harold "Happy" Gardner(Happy Hogan/Guy Gardner)**

 **Bianca Morales(Rio Morales/Bianca Reyes)**

 **Jefferson Morales(Jefferson Davis/Alberto Morales)**

 **Aaron Mannheim(Aaron Davis/Bruno Mannheim)**

 **Author's notes: Okay, so if you want a visual idea of what Jaime's costumes look like, here's my best interpretation…**

 **Costume 1: This costume is kind of a mix between Dan Garrett's Blue Beetle costume and Ben Riley's. Basically, it's just a black long-sleeve shirt, black sweatpants, a blue hoodie with a black cartoon-ish beetle on the front(similar to Spider-Man's logo on the back, except with two missing legs), and a blue domino mask.**

 **Costume 2: This costume is a mix between Ted Kord's Blue Beetle costume and Miles Morales mainstream costume. It looks mostly like a black one-piece with a blue beetle insignia on the chest(again, cartoon-ish), a mask that covers his entire face and head with blue outlining the eyes, and blue gloves, belt, backpack, and boots.**


	93. How to Be A Hero Part 1

**Chapter XXXI: How to Be A Hero! Part 1**

 **Colombia, Mexico. 7:30 P.M.**

 _["Query, Jaime Morales; why did you allow the criminals to escape?"]_

("How many times do I have to _tell_ you, Scarab?") Jaime groaned as he flew back to his parent's apartment. ("We can't _help_ the little guy if there _is no_ little guy.")

 _["Such a tactic displays weakness!"]_

("Dios mio, I don't know _what planet_ you're from, but I'm guessing _'Scarab'_ means _'asshole'_ there.") Once he landed on the side of the building, he peered through the window to make sure his parents were too busy to notice him. Silently opening the window to his room, he crept inside and shut his door. ("Piece of cake.") He mused to himself.

"Jaime?" A startled voice called out behind him.

The boy's eyes widened in shock. Turning around, abruptly, he found that his uncle Aaron Mannheim was sitting on his bed, with a look of equal surprise. Suddenly, Jaime's glove transformed into a cannon and pointed at Aaron. "NO!" Jaime forcibly pushed his arm down. "I _know_ my pulse is spiking, but you are _not_ vaporizing my uncle!"

"What the hell is going on, here?!" Aaron yelped, fearfully.

With all of his strength, Jaime retracted the suit back into the Scarab, saving his uncle. Realizing he was standing in his underwear, Jaime grabbed a pair of jeans off of the floor and slipped them on as quickly as possible. A plain t-shirt followed shortly after.

"Jaime… _you're_ the Black Beetle?"

"Uh, I-I… I mean, I'm, uh… yeah." Jaime sighed.

"Are you an Avenger?"

"Uh…" Jaime pursed his lips and shrugged. "Yeah, _basically."_

Just then, the bedroom door swung open and both of Jaime's parents burst in.

"What happened?!"

("Are you hurt?!")

"N-no!" Jaime smiled, nervously. "I saw, uh, a _spider_ in my room, and Uncle Aaron killed it for me!"

"... really?" Jefferson questioned. "Okay, well… we're gonna be _late_ for dinner. So, let's go."

"We'll be right out!" Jaime promised. "First, I wanna talk to Uncle Aaron about something."

"Alright. But _hurry."_ Jefferson agreed, and shut the door.

"They don't _know?!"_ Aaron held his head between his palms as he stood up.

"No! _Nobody_ knows!" Jaime hissed, trying to get his uncle to calm down. "Don't make a _big deal_ out of this!"

"Don't make-this _is_ a big deal, kid!" Aaron tried to make it to the door. "I have to tell them!"

"No!" Jaime picked up his uncle and slammed him onto his floor. "You can _not_ tell _anyone_ about this!"

"But, Jaime-!"

"No! If they found out I was risking my life as Black Beetle, they would _freak out!"_ Jaime insisted. "Uncle Aaron, _please,_ I'm _begging_ you! After what happened to _Marigold,_ I-I-I _cannot_ do that to them…"

Aaron felt as if his heart were in a vice grip at the mention of his dearly departed niece. Not a single day went by in the Morales household when they weren't reminded of the unfortunate incident that took Marigold away from them. While Aaron initially blamed himself for not finding the kids sooner, his older brother, Jefferson, insisted that it was Emerald Man's fault for attracting such attention. Nevertheless, Aaron wouldn't want to put anymore strain on his family.

"Okay…" He promised, reluctantly. "Okay, I… I won't tell."

"Thank you…" Jaime sighed in relief.

"Alright, well, let's get going."

A half hour later, Jaime and his family were sitting in an authentic Chinese restaurant, enjoying wonton dumplings and egg rolls. But despite the delicious food, Jaime had barely touched anything on his plate.

("What's wrong, carino?") Bianca asked. ("I thought you _liked_ Chinese.")

("Huh?") Jaime jumped, slightly, before he realized who had called him. ("Oh, yeah. Sorry, mom. I just… I didn't get much done at the Internship, today.")

("Y'know, you've been working there for _months,_ right?") Jefferson added. ("Doesn't Jordan know how capable you are by now?")

("Y-yeah, he does.") Jaime stammered. ("H-he's just been busy, lately. There's-there's not a lot of w-work for me right now. S-so, I guess I'm just doing _odd jobs_ for now.")

("Ah, that son of a bitch!") Jefferson slammed his fist against the table, drawing the attention of a few other customers. ("Isn't it bad enough he's spending his time dropping cities out of the sky?! Now, he's using my son for menial labor?!")

("Jefferson!") Bianca scolded. ("keep your voice _down!")_

("No, Bianca! It's bad enough he gets bullied at school, now his boss doesn't take him seriously! That rich asshat only cares about himself!")

("Aw, c'mon, bro.") Aaron soothed. ("You know that ain't true. Otherwise, he wouldn't have founded _Damage Control.")_

("Yeah? And a _hell_ of a lotta good _that_ did!") Jefferson fumed. ("It nearly put _you_ out of business, making you take on a couple'a _heists_ to make a living, and now hardly anyone will work with ya because of your time in jail!")

("H-hey, guys…") Jaime desperately tried to change the subject as he pointed to the television. ("L-look at _that.")_

The three adults turned their heads towards the newscast, which instantly made them drop the subject. Jaime was unfazed, as he had already witnessed the destruction of Sanchez's Bodega earlier that night as Black Beetle, but his family didn't have to know that. It wasn't hard for him to guess what they were all thinking once they looked back at him.

("Jaime…") His mother spoke, shakily. ("If you _ever_ see anything like that, you are to _run away,_ understand?")

("Yes, mom.") He promised as he bit into an egg roll.

("Jaime, this is _serious.")_ His father pressed the subject further. ("If somebody so much as _looks at you funny,_ run like _hell._ Got it?")

("Yes, sir.") Jaime nodded this time, for emphasis, and continued to eat his dinner.

* * *

 **The Next Day**

Jaime was glad that it was Saturday. It meant that he was free to spend more time as Black Beetle. And today, he wanted to visit his Uncle Aaron's workshop to see if he could help him study the bizarre piece of weaponry. The idea was, if this piece held some kind of power source, Scarab would be able to track it to the supplier. From that point, it would be easy to take out whoever was selling these weapons.

Upon arriving at the workshop, Jaime went straight to Aaron's office and landed three knocks on the wooden door. Not long after, his uncle eagerly greeted him. "Hey, little man, whassup?"

"Can I borrow some of your tools, please?" Jaime got straight to the point.

"What for?"

Jaime reached into his backpack and showed his uncle the material. The journeyman looked surprised at first, but led his nephew over to a workbench, regardless. After a brief explanation, and a few pounds with a hammer, Jaime and his uncle found the source of the device's glow. A purple rock.

"Okay, Scarab… do your thing." Jaime extended his hand forward, ordering the nanites to form a scanning device and analyze the object.

 _["Subject similar to technology used by advanced artificial intelligence entity Ultriac. Not compatible."]_

"Not compatible, again?!" Jaime growled, angrily. "What does that even _mean?!"_

"Jaime, what do _you_ mean?" Aaron looked confused. "Who are you talking to?"

"It's… it's the _Scarab."_ Jaime pointed to the back of his neck, revealing a smalls, insect-shaped microchip. "It's fused to my _spine_ and taps into my _nervous system._ It's how I get the _strength,_ the _speed,_ the _agility,_ the _real_ powers."

"Holy shit…" Aaron marveled at the alien technology. "Does it _hurt?"_

"No, not _really."_ Jaime shrugged. "It's actually a lot more _helpful_ than I give it credit for. It almost acts as like a _guide_ to being a superhero. Think _Jiminy Cricket…_ with a _really bad_ attitude. But it can't tell me what this is for some reason."

"Well, don't _touch_ it." Aaron warned. "If we don't know what it _is,_ there's no way of telling what-"

"Wait!" The Scarab had finished scanning the material, much to Jaime's joy. "It's got a lock on the energy signature! I can trace them back!"

"Wait, no! Jaime, don't-!" Aaron tried to protest, but the boy had already covered himself with the black fabric. "Whoa! _That_ is some freaky shit."

"I _know,_ right?! Isn't it cool?!" Jaime hugged his uncle, grabbed the glowing object, and headed for the door. "Thanks for your help, Uncle Aaron! See ya, later!"

"Jaime!" Aaron called out one last time before a pair of wings popped out of his nephew's back and he flew away. "... _damn."_

* * *

 **Two Hours Later…**

Jaime continued to study the object as he followed the energy trail. As he got closer to the end of the trail, he landed on a nearby roof to give it a closer look. As he delicately brushed his fingers over the smooth surface of the rock, when it suddenly began to glow brighter. Turning it over, he found that it was chipped, most likely caused when he was smashing at it.

At last, the rock exploded, knocking Black Beetle on his back. "What the hell was _that?!"_

 _["Severe combustion. Brought about by external damage."]_

"So… if _all_ these weapons have those rocks in them…" Jaime didn't dare finish his own sentence. The idea strengthened his resolve to get rid of the weapons as he carefully reached the end of the trail.

A black, panel van was parked under a railroad bridge, and to men were showing a few weapons to a potential customer. The Scarab increased the audio surveillance so that Jaime could hear what they were saying. "This is a _new_ item." One of the seller's pitched. "Recovered from the damage caused in Seattle when Thunder Woman died."

The buyer didn't look impressed. "Dude, I'm just trying to _mug_ somebody. Not… shoot them back in _time."_

Black Beetle slowly climbed onto the roof the van, preparing whatever weapon he would need to take them down. But as he continued to listen, the conversation began to escalate.

"Look, we're not some _cheap gun store."_ The seller reasoned. "We are _top of the line._ We make stuff that'll make you the _queen_ of this neighborhood!"

"I don't _want_ to be…" The woman gave up. "Y'know what? I'm done. Go sell your _handheld nukes_ somewhere else."

"Hold up!" The man pulled out a gun, making the woman freeze. "We can't just let you walk away. With everything you know."

"Hey!" Black Beetle landed in front of the buyer, forming a shield over his arm to block the bullets. "You wanna shoot somebody? Shoot at _me!"_

The men scrambled into the van while the woman ran away. Black Beetle's arm converted into a grappling hook and latched onto the van. Unfortunately, he underestimated his reaction time, and the vehicle pulled him along the street. Once he finished screaming, his wings reactivated, and he was now following them as if he were a kite tied to the bumper.

Then, things went from bad to worse as a helicopter appeared out of the sky. The van's roof slid open, revealing a giant magnet that attached to the bottom of the helicopter. ("Aw, _come on!")_ Jaime cursed as he reeled himself closer.

At last, he made it to the door of the van, and tore it open. ("Okay, hermanos!") He warned as he formed a blaster. ("If you _cooperate,_ maybe I'll ge _easy_ on ya!")

A long, metal arm pulled him out of the van, startling the young hero. Black Beetle looked up and shuddered at the man who had attacked him. The man was dressed in bulky, gray armor with four metal arms protruding from his back. His face was concealed by an armored helmet with glowing green goggles.

Jaime tried to fire at his enemy, but two of the other arms ripped off his wings, and wrapped around him. Before he could do anything to defend himself, Jaime heard a faint noise coming from the suit. A parachute burst out from the damaged jetpack, ripping him free from the man's grip.

But as he fell, Black Beetle was tangled in the fabric of the parachute. The frightened boy screamed at the top of his lungs as he rushed towards the ground. He hoped that when he made contact, the suit would protect his bones from the impact. But instead, he landed in a lake and started to struggle herder as he sank to the bottom.

For a moment, he thought that he was about to die….

… until a bright green light slashed the parachute to shreds and lifted him out of the water.

"Huh…? Wha…?" Jaime's eyes fluttered open underneath his mask as he felt the wind brushing against him. Once his vision started to clear, he saw two green arms wrapped around him, and he sighed in relief. "Oh… hey, man."

After Emerald Man sat him down, Black Beetle peeled the mask off of his face and wringed out the water as he explained what happened. "And so, this little piece of a weapon I busted up led me to an _arms deal!_ I tried to stop them, but then they got into a helicopter! And this guy just _steps out_ with these _robot arms_ and he tore my wings up! And then the parachute opened up -thanks, by the way- and I fell into the lake, and that's when you showed up. Wait… how-how did you know I was in _trouble?"_

"Well, the camera in your mask is programmed to give me an alert when it judges you're in a _life-threatening situation."_ Jaime's mentor explained. "After _that_ , the tracker led me straight to you."

"You… you put a camera… _and_ a tracker in my suit?"

"Oh, I put _everything_ in your suit." Tony corrected. His ring displayed a holographic control board, which he fiddled with. "Including this _heater."_

At that moment, the water soaked into Jaime's suit began to evaporate and his shivering stopped. "Oh! Oooh, that feels _good!_ Thank you… anyway, uh, I _appreciate_ the assist, Mr. Jordan, but I had that situation under _control._ You didn't have to come all the way out here for me."

"Oh, I'm not _here,_ exactly." Emerald Man's mask slid up, revealing it's empty contents to a disappointed boy. "Thank _God_ , this place has wifi."

Ignoring the small pang in his heart, Jaime carried on with the conversation. "So, uh, Mr. Jordan, what're we gonna do about this gang?"

"Relax, kid. There are people who _handle_ this sort of thing."

"The Avengers?!" Jaime asked, enthusiastically.

"Uh, _no._ This is a little below their _paygrade."_

"Well then, who's coming to help me?"

" _Help you?_ No, you don't _understand."_ Tony went on. "You did _good,_ okay? Now, just go home and let _me_ handle this."

"But, Mr. Jordan, I can help!" Jaime pleaded.

"Kid, we've been _over_ this. You're not _ready."_

Jaime grumbled in frustration at that response. "You thought I was ready to take on _the Flag!"_ He reasoned.

"Kid, trust me, if Flag wanted to, he would've _wiped the floor_ with you the second you stole his shield. Look, just keep helping the _little guy._ Like the lady who bought you the churro."

Jaime rubbed his forehead, embarrassed by the statement. "I'm ready to do _more_ than that!"

"No… you're _not._ If you ever run into this guy again, call Happy. End of discussion." The mask flipped down and the suit prepared to take off. "It's never too late to think about _college_ , y'know. I've got _connections_ if you ever need a letter of recommendation."

"No, Mr. Jordan! I don't _need_ to go to college, I-!" Jaime desperately tried to argue, but the suit flew away before he could say anything. ("... well, that's just _great.")_

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Black Tarantula(Tarantula/Black Spider)**


	94. How to Be A Hero Part 2

**Chapter XXXI: How to Be A Hero! Part 2**

After the humiliating defeat at the hands of an armored villain, and the even more humiliating situation of being rescued by his mentor's drone, Jaime had spent the next week studying his costume. He knew he'd never be able to continue his investigation with Emerald Man constantly spying on him. Luckily, both of his parents were at work, meaning he was capable of working on his suit, freely. Sitting in the living room in his pajamas, he occasionally ate a spoonful of cereal as he poked and prodded at the delicate technological fabric.

As he tampered with the suit's circuitry, his ears perked up as his cartoons came to a sudden end. _[("We interrupt this program to bring you an important news bulletin. Early this morning, world-renowned philanthropist and famous superhero, Anthony Jordan, also known as Emerald Man, announced that the construction of the new Justice Legion of Avergers' embassy in Mexico City is nearing completion.")]_

("What?") Jaime choked on his cereal. ("Embassy? Mexico City? W-why wasn't _I_ told about this?")

The news report went on, this time with a translated interview with Jordan, himself. _["I'm very eager to finally be setting up shop in a new country. It's a great step forward in expanding the Justice Legion across the globe. And I look forward to searching for new heroes to join the ranks of-")]_

Jaime angrily turned off the television and furiously continued working. ("Hmph! Won't answer my _calls!_ Won't even visit unless I'm about to _die!_ And now, there's this new _building_ for Mexican superheroes and you don't _tell me?!_ Well, I'll show _you!_ Just wait! Once I take down _Intergang,_ you'll be _begging_ for me to-!")

 _["Jaime Morales."]_ Scarab's voice startled the boy. _["When you are finished talking to yourself, perhaps you would be interested to know that you have now successfully deactivated the tracking device within the suit's mainframe."]_

("I have?") Jaime looked down, happily. ("I-I mean, yeah, I _have!_ Me gusta!")

 _["Shall we commence the deactivation of the monitoring device?"]_

("No, not yet.") Jaime quickly slipped the mask over his face. ("Can you hack into the footage and show me the faces of the dealers? I can only remember a few facial features and part of a license plate.")

 _["Accessing memory archives…"]_ Scarab complied. Suddenly, a video of Jaime standing in front of a mirror popped up. _[("Hey, punks! I heard you were messin' with that Morales kid! Black Beetle don't like bullies!")]_

("Uh, no! No, no, no, no!") Jaime blushed, heavily, under the mask. ("This-this is just me _messin' around._ Go-go _further in the day. Further in the day.")_

This time, the video showed Jaime wearing a crudely cut paper "A" on his forehead. _[("Hey, Black Beetle! You got heart! I_ totally _would've be honored to work alongside you if I hadn't been_ murdered _to death! Anyone who can steal_ my _shield has mad skillz!")]_

("N-no, no! No! _Further! Further!")_

 _["Your impressions are most humorous, Jaime Morales."]_

("Okay, _thanks!_ Now, get to the _arms deal! Please?!")_ At last, the video paused on the night of the arms deal. ("Okay, now run a background check on the sellers!")

 _["Scan inconclusive. There is no criminal record of either of the two highlighted individuals."]_

("Seriously? _None?")_ Jaime groaned.

 _["However, the_ third _individual has been identified."]_ Scarab zoomed in on the woman who was buying the weapon. _["Sara Hamner. Aged forty-three. She has a criminal record. And an address in Colombia, Mexico, planet Earth."]_

("Hmm... _does she,_ now?") Jaime grinned, mischievously. ("Well, what do ya say we pay her a visit?") He asked, rhetorically, as he slipped on the rest of his suit. Regardless, Scarab replied.

 _["Shall I activate the armor's interrogation mode?"]_

Instead of correcting the microchip, Jaime actually considered. ("Um… _sure.")_

Sara Hamner sighed, heavily, as she cruised into her driveway. Without any new weapons, she was low on cash, and needed to take on a demanding job at the grocery store. On the bright side, in a few hours, her husband would return home from his camping trip and return to work to help with the income. As she unloaded the groceries from the back of her car, she failed to notice Black Beetle land on her driveway and fire a sticky substance onto her hand. She was now stuck to the trunk of her car as she gave the hero a confused look.

 _ **[("REMEMBER ME?!")]**_ He flicked his wrist forward, creating a sonic cannon.

("Whoa!") Sara flinched as his voice boomed around the parking garage. ("Hey, uh-")

 _ **[("I NEED INFORMATION, AND YOU'RE GONNA GIVE IT TO ME,**_ **NOW!")]** Jaime's cannon emitted a low whine as it charged up with power. _**[("C'MON!")]**_

("What happened to your voice?") Sara regained her composure.

 _ **[("WHAT DO YOU MEAN?")]**_ Black Beetle's eyes nervously darted around under his mask, as he kept his arm pointed at her.

("I _heard_ your voice last night.") Sara snorted as she continued unloading her groceries. ("I know what a girl sounds like.")

 _ **[("WHAT?!")]**_ Beetle's voice nearly cracked. _**[("I'M NOT A**_ **GIRL!** _ **I'M A**_ **BOY!** _ **I MEAN, UH, I-I'M A**_ **MAN!")]**

("I don't care _what_ you are.") She shrugged, nonchalantly. ("Boy _or_ girl.")

 _ **[("I'M NOT A**_ **GIRL!")]** Beetle stamped his foot. _**[("I'M A**_ **MAN!** _ **C'MON, MA'AM, LOOK, WHO**_ **WERE** _ **THOSE GUYS FROM THE OTHER NIGHT? WHO IS SELLING THESE WEAPONS? I NEED TO KNOW, GIMME NAMES! OR ELSE!")]**_

Sara slammed her trunk down, startling the boy into jumping back, slightly. ("You've never _done_ this before, have you?") She chuckled.

 _ **[("DEACTIVATE INTERROGATION MODE…")]**_ Black Beetle ordered Scarab as he rubbed his head in embarrassment. ("Look, Mrs. Hamner, these guys are selling weapons that are _seriously dangerous!_ They can't just be out on the _street!_ If _one_ of them can cut through Sanchez's Bodega like _butter-!")_

("You like Sanchez's?") She interrupted.

("Yeah, best burritos in Colombia.") He nodded.

 _("Julio's_ is pretty good.") She countered.

("Eh, they use too much _cheese.")_

("I _like_ cheese.")

("C'mon, _please…")_ Jaime asked one more time, but Sar didn't respond. ("Ah, stupid interrogation mode.") He muttered to himself as he walked away. ("Scarab, don't _ever_ do that again.")

("The other night…") Sara called out, making him stop and look back. ("You said to that guy, 'if you're gonna shoot somebody, shoot _me.'_ That's pretty _brave_ for a kid. I don't know _much_ about those guys, but I'll tell you anything that could help.")

("Really?") Jaime smiled under his mask and hurried over to her.

("Yeah, I don't want those things in this neighborhood, either. I've got a _stepson_ who lives here.") She explained. ("So when you _find them,_ you take them down for _good._ Deal?")

("Deal!") He agreed, eagerly.

("They call themselves _Intergang.")_ She began. ("Supposedly, they follow superheroes around to steal scraps and pieces of the messes they make to build those weapons. I take it you've met the big guy with the spider arms on his back?") Her guest nodded. ("He calls himself _the Black Tarantula._ He's either the _leader_ or an _enforcer…_ maybe _both._ You wanna take down the _gang,_ you gotta take down _him.")_

("Okay, okay, informative. What _else_ do you know about him?")

("Other than that he's a _psychopath_ who dresses up like a _monster? Nothing._ I don't know _who_ he is, or _where_ he is.") Black Beetle lightly banged his head onto the roof of her car. But Sara rubbed her chin as a faint memory came to mind. ("I might know where he's _gonna_ be. This _crazy chick_ I used to work with; she's supposed to be doing a _deal_ with him, tonight. The Bendis Tower. Seven o'clock.")

("Yes!") Jaime cheered and activated his wings. ("Thank you! Hey, uh, that stuff is gonna wear off in _one hour!_ Thanks!")

("Wait, what?") Sara shook he head in defiance. ("No, no, no, no! Come _fix_ this!")

("Sorry, gotta get the guy!")

("I've got _ice cream_ here, man!")

("One hour! You _deserve_ that! You're a _criminal! Bye,_ Mrs. Criminal!")

* * *

 **Bendis Tower, 7:00 P.M.**

Black Beetle silently crawled along the ceiling of the building's parking garage, patiently waiting for Intergang to show up. Fortunately, Sara's timing was correct, as another group of people, lead by a woman covered in tattoos, arrived at the scene. ("Alright, cabarons.") She hissed. ("Intergang's on their way. Let _me_ do the talkin', while _you_ keep a look-out.") Her henchman agreed and loaded their weapons.

("Okay, Scarab…") Jaime smiled under his mask. ("Get ready to-")

 _["Incoming call from Mr. Jordan, Anthony."]_

("What? Incoming call? No, don't-!")

 _["Oh! Thank_ God, _you're alright."]_ Tony's face appeared over the mask's lenses. _["Listen, kid, your tracking device and camera have stopped working. I need you to fix them as soon as possible. Don't worry, I can talk you through it-"]_

("Uh, Mr. Jordan, this is kind of a _bad time.")_

 _["Don't_ interrupt _me… okay, look, if this is about the new facility, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it, myself, but I've been_ swamped _with work, and-"]_

Just then, Intergang's van rolled into the garage, honking some sort of code at the buyers. This did not go unnoticed by Tony. _["Uh, what was that?"]_

("Uh, _traffic!")_ Jaime lied. ("I'm, uh, on my way home from… chess club.")

 _["Really? That's_ odd. _Happy told me that you_ quit _chess club. Like, a_ month _ago."]_

("Uh, sorry, Mr. Jordan! Gotta go!") Jaime finished. ("End call, Scarab!")

 _["No, don't you hang up on m-!"]_

Unfortunately, Jaime's voice had alerted both Intergang and the buyers, and they both opened fire on the African-Latino hero. The suit automatically shifted two shields over Beetle's arms to protect him from the bullets, but a sudden laser blast knocked him off of the ceiling. Sure enough, The Black Tarantula made his way over to him, ready to fight.

("Hey, man!") Black Beetle shifted his shields into dual blasters. ("Remember me?!")

But before either of the armored beings could fire, another van came screeching around the corner and a group of federal officers piled out. ("PFM! Freeze!") One ordered.

("What?!") Black Beetle shrieked in surprise. ("PFM?! What do you _mean,_ PFM?!")

 _["The PFM is the Policia Federal Min-"]_

("Gah! I _know_ what 'PFM' means, Scarab! I meant, what are they _doing_ here?!")

("Oh, _hell naw!")_ One of Intergang's men took out one of the high-tech weapons and aimed it at the officers.

("No!") Black Beetle blasted the weapon out of the criminal's arms, only to regret his actions. The weapon broke upon impact with the ground. Beams of energy blasted in every direction, tearing apart the building. As the officers tried to protect themselves, Black Beetle stood in front of the weapon and recreated the shields. He could hear Intergang's van driving off, but right now, he needed to protect the officers.

But the laser continued to eat away at his shields, and would soon start cutting through his suit. Jaime closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. Until a flash of green light eclipsed the glowing laser, and he could no longer feel it pushing against him. Retracting his shields, Black Beetle looked up to see Emerald Man holding the weapon inside an unbreakable light-construct, while simultaneously defusing the weapon.

"Oh, _hi,_ Black Beetle." The Armored Avenger's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Uh, _chess club,_ was it?"

After the weapon was stabilized, Emerald Man began rounding up the buyers and patching up the damage done to the building. Black Beetle quickly came to his senses and followed his mentor outside. ("Mr. Jordan! Mr. Jordan, I can _help!_ What should I do?")

"I think you've done _enough."_ Emerald Man retorted and flew up to check on the rest of the building.

Once he was out of sight, Jaime kicked a nearby wall out of anger. After months of neglect from the man he idolized, He was in no mood to be talked down to. The boy flew to a rooftop and pulled off his mask as he watch Emerald Man continue patching up the building and speaking with the authorities. At last, he approached the brooding teen.

"On _today's_ episode of _'Jaime Fucks Up,'_ I politely asked you to stay _away_ from this, and instead, you hack a state-of-the-art suit of armor to go _behind my back_ and do the _one thing_ I told you _not_ to do." Tony stated, coldly.

"Is everyone okay?" Jaime breathed, trying to ignore the angered tone from his mentor.

"No thanks to _you."_

"'No thanks to me'?!" Jaime snapped. He angrily jumped down from the tree and approached the hovering suit. "Those weapons are out there, and you didn't _listen_ to me! _None_ of this would've happened if you had just _trusted_ me!" The boy was on the verge of tears by the time he was right in front of the suit. "Y'know what? I'm not talking to _this!"_ He emphasized by flicking the chestplate. "If you _really_ cared about me -if you _ever_ cared about me- you'd be here _yourself,_ instead of sending another _empty piece of-!"_

The faceplate slid upwards to reveal the angered and disappointed frown of Tony Jordan. Jaime stumbled backwards as the rest of the suit opened up and his mentor approached him. The Avenger didn't speak until the boy finally rose to his feet again.

"I _did_ listen to you, kid." He fumed. "Who do you think called the PFM, huh?"

"M-Mr. Jordan, I-" Jaime tried to defend himself, but Tony interrupted him.

"Did you know I was the _only person_ who believed in you? Everyone else at _S.H.I.E.L.D.,_ and the _U.N.,_ and the _Justice Legion?_ They all said I was _crazy_ to trust a _thirteen-year-old kid_ with a _two-point-six million dollar suit."_

"I-I'm _fifteen-"_

"No! This is where you _zip it!"_ Tony barked, furiously. "The _adult_ is talking! What if somebody had _died? Huh?_ Different story, _right?_ Because that's on _you!_ And if _you_ died-!" Tony rubbed his head in an attempt to calm himself as his face softened, slightly. "If _you_ died… I feel like that's on _me._ And I already _have_ a kid's death on my conscience."

"I-I understand, sir." Jaime stammered. "I just-I just wanted to be like _you."_

"And I wanted you to be _better_ than me." Tony sighed, thinking of what to do. At last, he came to a conclusion. "Okay… this isn't working out. I'm gonna need the suit back."

Jaime's heart sank. "Like, f-for _how long?"_

"Uh, like _forever."_ Tony replied, sternly.

"No!"

"Yes."

"N-no, you can't-!"

"Yeah, that's how it works."

"No, please!" Jaime begged, tearfully. "Please, Mr. Jordan, this is _all I have!_ I'm _nothing_ without this suit!"

Tony cocked an eyebrow. "If you're nothing without _this suit,_ then you shouldn't _have it…_ Jesus Christ, I sound just like my dad."

Jaime looked down at his feet and rubbed his arm. Thinking back on how rashly he acted, he realized that Jordan was right. Ever since he had gotten the suit, he had grown more and more distant from his family and friends. Not only that, but he had been so focused on proving himself to his idol, he escalated the situation into a near-catastrophe. As ashamed as he was to admit it, he knew that Emerald Man was right. He didn't _deserve_ the suit.

He didn't even deserve to be an _Avenger._

* * *

 **One hour later…**

Needless to say, the walk home was rather dreadful. Jaime didn't even acknowledge the taunts and glares from the people on the streets as he reached his apartment. His keys didn't even reach the lock before the door swung open.

"Get in here!" His father ordered. "Now!" Jaime quietly stepped inside as his father went on. "Where the _hell_ have you been?! Your mother- my wife -has been _all over the city_ trying to find you, all because you wouldn't answer your phone!"

("Jefferson, _stop.")_ Bianca cut in. ("I'm _fine-")_

"No, he has to _listen!_ We have called _five_ police stations! _All_ of your teachers! They said they didn't know where you were!"

("Dad, please…") Jaime spoke in a barely audible tone. ("I'm okay… I'm sorry, I didn't answer, but it's okay.")

"Cut the _bullshit."_ Jefferson grunted. "I know. Okay? I know _everything._ I know that you quit your _academics._ I know you've been cutting _classes._ I know that you _sneak out_ of this apartment every other night. That is _not_ acceptable!"

Bianca stepped in, trying to defuse the argument. ("Jaime, your father is just _worried_ about you. You _have_ to tell us what is going on. Please, just tell us.")

"Yeah. Go ahead." Jefferson crossed his arms. "Tell us _now._ It's just _us,_ right now. And I want the _truth."_

The pain of his previous confrontation with Emerald Man still weighed heavily on Jaime's shoulders. And now, being chewed out by his parents wasn't helping him. But if they wanted the truth, he would tell them. With his lips trembling, his eyes stinging, and his heart aching, the boy finally let the dam burst. ("I _lost_ the Jordan Internship…") He choked out.

("What?") Both Jefferson and Bianca blinked in shock.

("Yeah, I… I _lost it,_ okay?") Jaime wiped his eyes and sadly slumped onto the couch. His parents shared a worried glance before sitting down next to him.

("Well, what _happened?")_ Bianca asked, softly.

("I-I just… I just thought that… that if I worked really _hard_ on a special _project,_ that… that he'd finally stop treating me like a _kid._ But, I… I just _screwed up…")_ The poor boy wept into his mother's shoulder, sobbing heavily as he spoke. ("I'm… I'm _sorry,_ I just… I just wanted to do something _right.")_

Jefferson had heard more than enough. He gently rubbed his son's back in a comforting manner, speaking in his native language. "Jaime… I-I'm _sorry._ You know I don't _mean_ to make your life miserable, right?" When his son nodded, Jefferson went on. "But, son… you _have_ to understand that you _are_ a kid. Okay? I mean, you're a very _smart_ kid, you're a very _talented_ kid, but you are _still, just a kid._ There's still a lot you need to _learn."_

("Your father's _right,_ Jaime.") Bianca rubbed his back as she hugged him. ("You need to know when to take things _slowly._ Okay? We _worry_ about you. So much.")

Jaime sniffled a little, and smiled softly at both of his parents. He hated seeing either of them upset, especially if it was because of him. ("O-okay…") He agreed. ("Thank you.")

"You're welcome." Jefferson grinned as he ruffled the boy's hair. "Yuck. Take a _shower._ Your hair is all _sticky."_

"Yes, sir." Jaime replied, softly.

 **To Be Continued!**


	95. How to Be A Hero Part 3

**Chapter XXXI: How to Be A Hero! Part 3**

 **Colombia, Mexico.**

Despite how upset he had been yesterday, Jaime's mood was beginning to brighten, drastically. Because of his reputation as an honor roll student, the principal allowed his tardiness and absences to slide. Not only that, but now that he wasn't constantly checking the clock, he actually paid attention in class more often. When lunch came around, he found that his mother had put a pudding cup in his lunchbox to cheer him up, much to his delight. At the end of the day, as he skated through town, ignoring the taunts and insults with vigor as he enjoyed the sensation of his skateboard.

When he reached the bodega, he was pleased to see Mr. Sanchez had fully recovered and was still serving food as reconstruction went on. He was so happy, he stopped to grab a bite to eat himself. ("Hey, Mr. Sanchez!")

("Good evening, Jaime!") He greeted, warmly. ("The usual?")

("You _know_ it. Thanks!") Jaime beamed.

("Your _mom_ want anything?") Sanchez asked with a suggestive smile. ("Mmm, she is _very beautiful.")_

Jaime crossed his arms, smugly. ("Yeah? How's your _niece_ doing, lately?")

("Okay.") Sanchez deadpanned as he wrapped up the burrito. ("Twenty pesos.")

("What?") Jaime laughed. ("It's _ten_ pesos!")

("For that _comment? Twenty_ pesos.")

("Hey, c'mon! I was just _kidding!")_

After a brief argument, Jaime conceded to pay twenty pesos and leave with his snack. As he walked down the sidewalk, he passed the TV shop. On one of the screens, he spotted a news report giving the details of Emerald Man transporting the last necessary materials to the headquarters in Mexico City. The boy shrugged it off and continued on his way.

As he resumed skateboarding down the road, he came across the demolished Kord Industries building where he found the alien microchip that was now fused to his spine. ("No place like home. Eh, Scarab?") He chuckled.

 _["Humorous, but_ inaccurate, _Jaime Morales."]_ Scarab corrected. _["My homeworld is fifteen light years away from the planet Earth. It was merely a coincidence that I resided in the Kord Industries building when the explosion delivered my frame to your nervous system."]_

("Of course, it was.") Jaime rolled his eyes and continued skating. Just then, the young man came upon the town's cemetery. Kicking up his board, he slowly marched towards his sister's headstone. ("Why haven't I visited in so long…?") He wondered out loud.

 _["The answer lies within your backpack, Jaime Morales."]_

Against his better judgement, Jaime slid the backpack off of his shoulders and unzipped the first zipper. Inside, there was nothing but his latest assignments and the textbooks he'd need. Thinking that this wasn't what Scarab ment, he checked the second zipper, and he realized why it had been so long since he'd visited.

He held his old, homemade costume in his hands, tracing his fingers along the crude patchwork until he looked into the eyes of the mask. ("... Scarab? You there?")

 _["As always, Jaime Morales."]_

("Today was… today was _great._ I went an _entire day_ without putting on a stupid costume, and for the first time in so long, I actually feel… _happy._ I'm not _nervous,_ or _anxious._ I even stopped _stuttering,_ for crying out loud!")

 _["Do you hypothesize that it may have something to do with your time as Black Beetle?"]_

Jaime rubbed his chin, deep in thought. He had come to realize that being a superhero wasn't all he'd hoped it be. All he did was make situations worse, and he still hadn't even found Intergang yet. And when he wasn't distracted, he excelled at school. Maybe it was time to throw in the towel.

Suddenly, a white panel van zoomed around the corner. Jaime managed to tackle a woman out of the way just in time. But as the vehicle sped away, Scarab enhanced Jaime's vision to see the license plate. The same license plate from the night of the weapons deal. Jaime was at a loss for words. Checking on the woman he saved, he noticed that her leg had been seriously hurt and immediately dialed for an ambulance.

Once he made sure that she was taken care of, he chased after the van's trajectory, laid out by Scarab, stopping only to look back at his crude costume. ("... I'll quit _tomorrow.")_ He told himself as he pulled the mask over his face.

* * *

Black Beetle had followed the van to an abandoned warehouse just on the outskirts of town. Stealthily making his way inside, he found that the building was devoid of life. He didn't understand why; he had definitely seen a group of men enter. He dropped down to the floor, searching for a lightswitch.

Just then, a spotlight shone down on the young hero, temporarily blinding him. Once he regained his composure, he spotted Black Tarantula casually leaning against the wall on the other side of the room. Black Beetle steeled his nerves and marched towards the mysterious arms dealer.

"Gotta hand it to ya, kid." Tarantula chuckled. "I really _admire_ your gumption."

Jaime was taken off-guard by the fact that he spoke English, but pressed on, nonetheless. "This ends _tonight!"_ He spoke, confidently.

"What's your _deal,_ kid?" Tarantula pushed himself off the wall and slowly stepped forwards. "Didn't Emerald Man _dump_ your ass?"

"Wha…?" Jaime paused, momentarily. "H-how did… what do _you_ know! Who _are_ you!"

"I'm someone who _knows_ what life is like…" Tarantula took off his mask, revealing his face to a startled Black Beetle. "For _us."_

"Uncle Aaron?" Jaime stammered. _"You're_ the Black Tarantula?! _You're_ the one selling these weapons?! Why?!" Jaime's heart sank as the feeling of betrayal hit him like a truck going 70 miles per hour. "When you got out of prison, you said you went _clean!_ My parent's _trusted_ you! _I_ trusted you! How could you _do this_ to us?!"

 _"_ ' _To_ you'?" Aaron crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "Jaime, I'm not doing anything _to_ you. I'm doing this _for_ you. The only reason your folks have stayed afloat this long is 'cause _my business_ helps them. Ever since Jordan's Damage Control ran all savage depots out of business, my boys and I needed to find _other ways_ of collecting scraps."

"But, you're _hurting_ people!" Jaime snapped. "Don't you understand that this stuff is _dangerous?!"_

"Jaime, you're _young."_ Aaron replied, calmly. "You don't understand how the world works."

Beetle grumbled under his breath. He was tired of being told that he was too young by everyone in his life. But now was not the time to lose his temper, so taking a deep breath, he walked closer to his uncle. "You're _right,_ okay? You _all_ are! There _is_ a lot that I don't understand. But one thing I _do_ understand is that selling _weapons_ to _bad guys_ is _wrong!"_

"Oh, _really?"_ Aaron snorted, indignantly. "How do you think your pal, Tony Jordan, pad for all them _fancy suits?_ Or all his _buildings?_ Guys like _him?_ They don't care about _us._ In his country, people like _me and your dad_ have to work _twice as hard_ just to earn _half as much._ And people like your _mom?_ They wanna either _lock them up_ or build _walls_ to keep them _out,_ 'cause they think they're nothing but a bunch of _thieves and rapists!"_

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because, I just want you to understand _where_ I'm coming from… and, I needed to keep you _distracted_ long enough."

 _["Beware, Jaime Morales!"]_ Scarab's warning came too late as four robotic arms attached to an apparatus wrapped around Black Beetle's arms and legs. Aaron put his helmet back on and pulled another weapon out of the closet.

"I'm _sorry,_ squirt." He sighed, mournfully, as he aimed at the ceiling. "But I've got _another_ family to look after."

The arms released the boy at the last second, just as the debris crashed down on him. The robotic limbs attached themselves to Tarantula's back, and he hurried out of the building. "See ya, kiddo. I've got a plane to catch."

Once the dust cleared, Jaime's vision started to clear. He tried to stand up, but he was pinned underneath the roof of the warehouse. "AH!" He shrieked in terror once he pulled off his mask. "Scarab! Help! Get me out of here!" But instead of an immediate reply, he was met with silence. "Scarab?"

 _["E-e-e-e-external… inter-inter-interference… m-must… reboot… Jaime…~*"]_

("Scarab…?") Jaime whimpered. ("Scarab?! Please, don't leave me!") Jaime screamed. Breathing heavily, Jaime struggled to lift the heavy weight off of his back, tears streaming down his face as he screamed in agony. ("Scarab! Mom! Dad! _Anybody!_ Hello?! Can anybody hear me?! _HELLOOOO?!_ Please, help! I'm _trapped_ down here! I can't - I can't _move!_ I can't _get up!_ I can't _breath!")_ His screams turned to sobs as he realized no one could hear him. His body felt numb, his breathes grew shorter, everything was going dark. ("I… I guess this… this is it…")

But just as he was about to give up, he spotted his mask lying on the ground in front of him. _"If you're nothing without this_ suit, _then you shouldn't_ have _it."_

As Emerald Man's voice echoed throughout his head, Jaime's breaths steadied. ("Wha… what am I _saying?_ I can't give up now...") Once more, he struggled to lift the heavy debris. ("C'mon… c'mon, Jaime…") He grit his teeth together as he felt the roof shift. ("C'mon, Jaime… _c'mon, Black Beetle… C'MON, BLACK BEETLE!")_

The next thing he knew, he had propped up one knee. Then another. Soon, he was on his feet, holding the entire weight of the roof on his shoulders. At last, he threw it away and took a deep breath. ("Scarab?! Scarab, are you there, buddy?")

 _["Re-re-re-rebooting… rebooting complete. I am here, Jaime Morales."]_

("Scarab!") Black Beetle cheered. ("Okay! Okay! We need to find Uncle Aaron!")

 _["The Black Tarantula's armor has left behind residual energy. I have found the Uncle Aaron."]_

("What? Uncle Aaron's suit has those purple rocks, too? W-where is he?")

 _["He is approximately one thousand feet in the air, preparing to intercept a cargo aircraft."]_

("Cargo aircraft?") Beetle's mind tried to unravel the mystery behind his uncle's trajectory when he remembered the newscast. ("The… the airship! It's moving day! It's _moving day!_ He's gonna rob that plane! I gotta stop him!")

Meanwhile, in Southern California, Happy Gardner was on the phone with the pilot. "Okay, we've reached the last checkpoint. We're loading up the last of the goods. All that's left is the prototype for Flag's new shield, the new engine specs for the airships, and the Meg… Megin… Thunder Woman's _magic belt."_

After the plane was loaded up, Happy was able to relax. He was just about to head to the hotel when his phone received a phone call from an unknown number. "Who is this?"

" _Happy! I'm calling you from a payphone!"_ Jaime's worried voice came from the other end. _"There's something very important I need to tell you!"_

"You gotta be _shittin'_ me!" Happy groaned as he hung up.

"No! Happy!" Jaime cursed to himself and abandoned the phone booth. Because his old suit didn't possess the useful wings Jordan gave him, he was forced to run as fast as he could towards Intergang's helipad. Luckily, he managed to grab onto the landing gear at the last second.

As the helicopter rose higher into the air, Black Beetle tried to ignore the ache in his stomach once he realized how high up he actually was. The helicopter deployed a pair of thrusters beneath the propellor that increased their velocity. Soon, they caught up with the cargo plane and latched on with a powerful electromagnet.

Black Tarantula's robotic limbs allowed him to safely crawl along the side of the plane as he cut into the hull with a specialized laser. He was just halfway through when something rocked the to his dismay, Black Beetle was kicking the helicopter off of the plane with all his might.

Enraged, Tarantula aimed the laser at the hero. Unfortunately, in his rage, he had accidentally killed his pilot and sliced off part of the starboard wing on the plane. Beetle shrieked in fear as he and his uncle held on for dear life. But he soon steadied himself when he saw that they were on a collision course with Colombia.

Thinking quickly, Jaime cautiously made his way to the wing, tilting the flap up as hard as he could. ("Please turn! Please turn! _Please turn!")_ He yelled over the roaring aircraft. Thankfully, the plane narrowly missed the city and crashed onto the beach.

An hour later, Happy and a crew had been alerted of the incident and rushed to the crash site. Even the Justice Legion showed up. But much to their surprise, any gear that had been thrown from the crash had been neatly stacked up, chained into place along with an unmasked Aaron Mannheim. Emerald Man plucked a paper note off of the thief; impressed with what he read.

" _Captured; Intergang's leader, Black Tarantula. Courtesy of Black Beetle. P.S.: Sorry about your plane."_

* * *

 **One Week Later…**

Jaime yawned loudly as he dragged himself out of bed. Shortly after breakfast, he hopped into his dad's car to head to school. His father was still upset with Aaron for giving in to criminal activities, but with the help of Jaime and Bianca, he knew he'd pull through. "Have a good day, son. Love you."

"See ya, dad." Jaime nodded. He was halfway to the school's entrance when the siren went off.

"I wanna hear you _say it."_ Jefferson teased as he spoke into the police car's megaphone. "Say it. _'I love you, too, dad.'_ Go on. _Say it."_

Blushing brightly, Jaime chuckled and turned around. "I love you, too, dad."

"Copy that." With that, Jefferson drove off to work.

Jaime shook his head and pushed into the school. But instead of going straight to first period, he was stopped by the principal and lead him to his office. Where Tony Jordan was waiting for him.

("M-Mr. Jordan?") He blinked in surprise.

("Can you give us a minute?") Tony asked the principal, who obliged. "C'mon. Sit down."

Jaime did as asked with a broad smile plastered over his face. "Wha… what're you doing here? I thought you said-"

"Oh, you _did."_ Tony interrupted with a smile. "You fucked up _hard._ But then, you did the responsible thing. You took the girl to the _free clinic,_ paid for _child support,_ stopped by on the _weekends…_ okay, y'know, not my _best_ analogy. But, the point is, I believe in _second chances._ And I'm sure bringing your own uncle in to jail wasn't easy. So, what do you say you give me _five minutes_ to smooth it over with your principal, have you transferred to a _marvelous school_ in Mexico City, and I'll introduce the world to the first Mexican Avenger; Black Beetle?"

Jaime's eyes widened with joy. This was everything he ever wanted; to fight alongside the greatest heroes on the planet. But before he agreed, he carefully thought about the past few weeks, and the lessons he had learned. At last, "Um… thanks, Mr. Jordan. But, uh… _no."_

"I'm sorry, _'no'_?" Tony sounded surprised.

"Yeah, for now I think… I think it's just best if I stay close to the _ground."_ Jaime explained. "Y'know, be a… a friendly _neighborhood_ superhero."

"Are you _sure?"_ Jaime nodded. "Alright then… I guess I'll see you later."

Jaime watched as his former mentor stepped out of the room, confident that he had made the right choice. The rest of his day went on rather smoothly, and soon he found himself skating home. Noticing that both of his parents had not yet returned, he figured he'd be on his own for dinner. He unlocked the front door, threw his backpack onto the couch, walked into his room, and found a metal suitcase with a note that made him grin from ear to ear.

" _This belongs to you. -TJ"_

 **To Be Continued!**


	96. Atlantis' Reckoning Prelude

**Chapter XXXII: Atlantis' Reckoning! Prelude**

 _Thousands of years ago, the Earth's landmass began to break apart. But while most of the Earth formed stable continents, a large island collapsed and sank to the bottom of the Bermuda Triangle. And when the time of man came, a subspecies of humans who had evolved into a race of water-breathing people settled on it, and called it Atlantis._

 _For centuries, five regions of the Atlanteans lived in constant war with each other, until one fateful day, a warrior priestess received a vision from sea god, Aegir. The god led her to the underground air tunnels of Atlantis, where he gifted her with his own trident. The weapon magically altered her physiology, granting her superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, telepathy, and the ability to breathe both air and water. The priestess became queen, and the first Aqua-Mariner; the protector of Atlantis._

 _Four regions agreed to follow the Aqua-Mariner, but the Black Manta Tribe, who practiced dark magic, isolated themselves in the trenches just beyond Atlantis' border. Under the leadership of Aqua-Mariner, the Atlanteans lived in peace for generations. But while Atlantis flourished, the surface world descended into chaos. The development of seaships soon led to pollution, threatening Atlantis' lifestyle. To protect themselves from the dangers of the surface world, the Aqua-Mariner created a magical barrier that shielded them from all outside hazards._

 _For a time, Atlantis was prosperous and safe, until one Aqua-Mariner, King Tha'korr, fell in love with a lighthouse keeper in Maine. From that love, came the first Atlantean/human hybrid, Prince Nam'orn McCurry. At first, the Atlanteans saw Tha'korr's first born as a plague to their race, and saw fit to eradicate him from existence. But Tha'korr's younger children, Nam'orm and Andromeda, proposed Nam'orn prove his worth through ritual combat. All four regions, even Nam'orm and Andromeda, challenged Nam'orn for the throne. One by one, Nam'orn defeated his challengers and reluctantly took the throne._

 _But Nam'orn was a son of two worlds, and could not stay in Atlantis, completely. Because of his unique heritage, his mind was plagued with crippling mood swings that would occasionally send him into fits of rage, or bouts of depression. One day, as he contemplated leaving Atlantis forever and passing the mantle of king to his brother, he saw a brilliant green light streak across the night sky. Upon investigation, he discovered that the surface world's greatest heroes were caught in a deadly battle with the Axis Powers and instinctively joined the fray. Not long after, Hyperman, the Flag, and Human Lantern welcomed the Aqua-Mariner into the Justice Society of Invaders._

 _And for a time, Nam'orn truly felt he had found his calling. But as the war drew to a close, coupled with the loss of Flag, Kid-Flag, and Human Lantern, Nam'orn was forced to return to Atlantis to protect his people. Little did he know of the disasters that awaited him._

* * *

 _ **Boston, Massachusetts. May 3, 1956.**_

 _As the hard rain began to pour from the heavens, the residents were forced to pack up and leave the beach, but a few children had elected to stay outside and dance through the puddles. Across the street, a man in a thick turtleneck watched his daughter from the top floor, making sure that she'd be safe._

 _"Hey, man. Are you alright?" His friend called him over from the living room._

 _"Yeah, just checking on something." He made his way to the table, where he and his companion were studying the layout of the fuel compound in the city. "Okay… the guards are rotated every two hours. We have a_ five minute window _while their going through the process. We sneak our way inside, and the the processing chamber is just-"_

 _The men's ears perked up as they heard feet shuffling from down the hall. They hide their weapons and plans in the secret cupboards around the room. The leader of the duo checked on his daughter again while the other cautiously moved towards the door. "Is it the feds?"_

 _"No…" The leader sighed just as a knock came at the door. "See who it is."_

 _His friend peered through the eyehole, then looked back with a confused expression. "It's three people. One of them is wearing a_ cloak, _I can't see his face. The other two are these… these two_ dames _dressed as_ mermaids. _They're holding_ swords."

 _"Open it."_

 _"Seriously?"_

 _"They won't wait_ forever."

 _When the door opened, the three visitors walked inside. The duo backed up to the table before one of the women spoke up. "Who are you?"_

 _The leader tilted his neck upwards, straining his muscles until three sets of gills broke free from the makeup and opened out, startling his companion. "I am_ Prince Nam'orm." _He stated. "Son of Tha'korr." The third figure removed his cloak, revealing his shining armor and seven-pronged trident. Nam'orm bowed in respect. "My king."_

 _"You." Nam'orn pointed to his brother's companion. "Leave us."_

 _"My king!" Nam'orm interjected. "This is Landon. I trust him with my life. He may stay._ With your permission, _of course."_

 _"As you wish. At ease." Once his brother rose to his feet, the Aqua-Mariner leaned his trident against the wall and took off his helmet. A soft smile crept over his lips as he brought the pure-blooded Atlantean into a tight hug. "You look_ well _for a_ f _ish out of_ water." _He joked._

 _"Praise be to Aegir, the supplements are_ working. _I am in good health." Nam'orm laughed. "How are Marella and Andromeda?"_

 _Nam'orn frowned, enticing a similar reaction from his brother. "Not so good." He sighed and backed away. "There has been an_ attack. _Dr. Jacqueline Kitagawa, calls herself_ 'Black Jack,' _attacked the border in a specialized submarine and stole a_ quarter-ton _of our treasury's gold. She escaped by triggering a_ bomb _at the art gallery… Marella and Andromeda were gravely injured._

 _Nam'orm gasped in anger. "Where is this_ 'Black Jack'?! _She will_ pay _for her crimes against our family and our people!"_

 _"Well, here's the_ thing…" _Nam'orn paced around his brother with a stern gaze. "She knew_ exactly _where the weakest part of the magical barrier was… and she knew how_ best _to distract us from her escape. I suspect that she either had someone on the_ inside… _or someone who had_ been _on the inside helped her…"_

 _Nam'orm's eyebrows knitted together in anger. "Why are you here, brother?"_

 _Nam'orn stepped closer and hardened his gaze. "... because I want you to_ look me in the eyes… _and tell me_ why _you betrayed Atlantis."_

 _"How_ dare _you?!" Nam'orm frowned. "Have you_ forgotten _who it was that stood up for you when the Atlanteans thought it best to_ execute you _because of your human heritage?!"_

 _"Nam'orm-" The king tried to interrupt, but his brother went on._

 _"When our father told me that I had an older brother, whom he_ abandoned _on the surface-world, I_ wept _because I feared that the humans had_ killed you! _But when he corrected me that he sent an Atlantean brigade to_ assassinate _you to defend his honor, I wept even more!"_

 _"Nam'orm-"_

 _"And now, you_ dare _to come here, and accuse me of betraying Atlantis?! Betraying our_ sister?! _What proof do you have?!"_

 _Nam'orn took a deep breath to calm himself. His mutant physiology that plagued him could only be remedied by an equal amount of time spent in water and on dry land. Unfortunately, it had been raining since he and his guards had left the beach, and his skin absorbed the moisture. As such, his emotions were becoming harder to control, and his brother's attitude wasn't making it any easier. But this was no time to lose his temper; so instead, he went with plan B._

 _"Tell him who you are." He ordered the third person in the room._

 _"Vulko! Son of Zorn!" He saluted._

 _"What?" Nam'orm was shocked as his friend tilted his head back to reveal the gills on his neck._

 _"Did you_ really _think you were the only spy we sent to this country?" Nam'orn crossed his arms in disappointment as Vulko made his way to the apartment's kitchen. But Nam'orm grabbed his arm._

 _"Landon?" He sounded hurt. "Landon, you_ lied _to me?!"_

 _"Let_ go _of him!" Aqua-Mariner ordered._

 _"Landon, I_ trusted _you, and you_ betrayed _me?!"_

 _"You betrayed Atlantis!" Vulko jerked his arm free and entered the kitchen and came back with a heavy burlap sack, handing it to his king. The Aqua-Mariner emptied the sack of its contents, letting the gold coins fall into his palm._

 _"Prince Nam'orm." He turned back to his brother. "You are to return to Atlantis, were you will inform the council of your crimes."_

* * *

 _ **Boston, Massachusetts. July 15, 1956.**_

 _Aqua-Mariner had failed to defuse the rising tensions between Atlantis and the US government. America was unwilling to surrender one of their own, and Atlantis continued to pressure Nam'orn into taking action. The stress was too much for his already fragile psyche, and something snapped. The king of Atlantis declared war on the United States._

 _Using the magic of his trident, he flooded the city of Boston and demanded that Kitagawa be brought to him to face justice. If his demands were not met, he would sink the entire East Coast into the Atlantic Ocean. But luckily for America, President Eisenhower ordered Hyperman to intervene._

 _Hyperman and Aqua-Mariner struggled against each other on the streets of Boston. Nam'orn was nowhere near as strong as Kent, but the magic in his trident gave him an edge. Additionally, the seawater fueled his fury. Hyperman was able to evacuate the city in time, but his friend wasn't holding anything back._

 _"You can't_ do _this, Nam'orn!" Kent tried to reason with the crazed Atlantean. "After all the_ good _you've done, I_ know _you don't want to do this!"_

 _"You don't know what I want,_ Kal-Ran!" _Nam'orn spat. "My own father_ hated _me! He had my mother_ killed _because he was ashamed of my existence! And when he grew old, he had the_ nerve _to ask me to take his place! I have_ struggled _against my own people -both on land, and in sea- just to stay alive! All my life, people have been wanting to_ take _everything from me! But now…_ I'm _taking something!"_

 _Hyperman punched his former ally into a submerged building, causing the structure to collapse. Aqua-Mariner growled in rage and quickly swam back at his attacker. The trident pierced Kent's shoulder, pinning him to the ground._

 _"Just_ admit _it! You_ never _trusted me! Neither did your damn government!" Nam'orn growled. "Two aliens; one from_ space, _one from the_ ocean! _And yet they trusted the one who looked_ just like them!"

 _He angrily tore his ancestors' weapon from the Radonian, and summoned all of its magic. As Kent recovered, he could feel the tides growing stronger; Nam'orn was about to flood the entire East Coast. Acting quickly, Earth's greatest champion wrapped his arms around his friend, placing him in a full nelson. But it did little to stop the mad king as the power increased._

 _"Don't make me do this!" Hyperman pleaded, but Nam'orn wouldn't listen. "Stop! Stop!"_

 _"Never…"_

 _With a heavy heart, Hyperman's eyes glowed brightly as they charged with solar energy. Just before Aqua-Mariner could strike the trident to the ground, two beams of concentrated energy blasted his gills. The water receded back into the ocean as the king fell to his knees. With his gills damaged, Nam'orn couldn't breath in air or water._

 _Coughing and spluttering, the king looked up to his old friend. "Please… please, Kent… don't let them… find Atlantis… or my daughter... will suffer for my sins…"_

 _"... you have my word." Kent promised._

 _Approximately one week after his death, King Nam'orn McCurry was buried on the shore of Amnesty Bay's lighthouse in Maine, next to his human mother._

* * *

 _ **Captain Howard's Seafood Tavern. Amnesty Bay, Maine. August 1, 1963.**_

 _"Hey, Jill! You seen this?" Derek called one of his waitresses over to the counter, showing her the morning's newspaper. "Look at this headline! 'The Aqua-Mariner Returns? First Female Superhero?' Isn't that the_ damnedest _thing you ever saw?"_

 _"You think it's true?" She asked the chef. "My daddy says he met the_ old _Aqua-Mariner before he went crazy. Maybe_ this _one's related to him, or something?"_

 _Just then, the bell above the door rang as another customer entered the restaurant. Everyone stopped to gawk at the gorgeous orange-skinned woman in glistening armor. The customers whispered and murmured in surprise and uncertainty as she sat down at one of the free booths and looked over the menu._

 _"Well, what're ya_ waitin' _for, girl!" Derek whispered. Go see what she wants!"_

 _Nervously, Jill took out her notebook and pen and walked over to the Atlantean. "Um… M-Ms. Aqua-Mariner?"_

 _"Oh, hello." She greeted, warmly. "How are you?"_

 _"Uh… c-can I… take your order?"_

 _"Yes, please. I'll have a glass of_ water, _obviously." Marella chuckled at her joke. "And… I think I'll have the fish and chips." A collective gasp echoed throughout the restaurant, confusing the woman. "...what?"_

 _"You_ can't _have the fish and chips!" One customer behind her replied. "You're_ Aqua-Mariner! _You_ talk _to fish!"_

 _Marella looked offended. "I do not_ 'talk' _to fish."_

 _"Yeah, you do!" Another customer put in. "Aqua-Mariner talks to fish._ Everybody _knows that."_

 _"No, no, no, no." Marella waved her hands as she explained. "That's actually a_ common misunderstanding. _A fish's mind is too weak to carry a conversation. What_ I _do is telepathically push their membranes into obeying my psychic commands. It works on most aquatic life, and even_ surface dwellers _to an extent. I've done it with_ fish, sharks, cephalopods, whales. _Although,_ dolphins _can be rather_ stubborn."

 _"Right, uh, one order of fish and chips coming up." Jill smiled and went to deliver the order._

 _"To go, please!" Marella added. As she leaned back into her seat, another customer wearing a letterman's jacket sat on the opposite end of the booth._

 _"Hey, do you mind if I do an interview?" He requested. "It's for my school paper."_

 _"Well, in_ that _case." Marella smiled. "Go ahead."_

 _"Thanks. So, first question; why_ here? _The_ decour?"

 _"My_ father _brought me here, once. When I was not much older than you." She sighed, thoughtfully._

 _"Okay. Next question; Atlantis. Is it real?"_

 _"Sorry. I can't say I've heard of it." Marella shrugged, coyly._

 _"Fine, just one more question; what's it like?" A devious smirk spread over the boy's face._

 _Marella didn't know how to respond. "I'm… not sure what you mean."_

 _"I mean, the_ first _Aqua-Mariner went_ crazy _and tried to sink America. And now, you're trying to fill his shoes? What's it like to take the role of a maniac? What's it like being_ nobody's _favorite superhero?"_

 _Marella had heard enough. She shot the punk a glare that could send someone's soul to the pits of Hell as she rose from her seat. As she towered over the boy, he suddenly realized just how bigger she was than him, and began to shiver in fear. Jill had just returned with the food and her customer snatched it out of her hands and gave her a single silver coin._

 _"Keep the change." She muttered, and stomped back to the beach._

* * *

 **Bermuda. Present Day.**

"Alright, Avengers. Let's put on our _game faces!"_ Wally ordered. "This is a _rescue_ operation, _plain and simple!"_

"We're getting closer, Flag!" Sam called as he flew the ship closer to the ship in distress.

"Alright, our _main objective_ is to get the passengers and crew to safety!" Wally explained. "Darkstar, you'll open a portal to the nearest landmass. Donna, you and I will help guide them to the upper deck to keep them in one spot. _Then_ we can focus on salvaging the ship!"

When they reached the destination, they saw that the call for help was not exaggerated. The ship's hull had been compromised and was leaking oil into the ocean. As Sam steadied the airship, the other Avengers leapt into action. Darkstar played his part in opening the portal while Donna and Wally gathered up everyone onboard.

Once everyone was safe, Wally used his superspeed to survey the damage. Much to his horror, when he reached the ship's engine room, he saw that a woman dressed in dark clothing was tearing the control board to pieces with a circular trident.

"Hey, you! Stop!" He cried, but it was too late. The sparks from the control box had set fire to the oil; at any minute, the ship would explode. Thinking quickly, the Flag rushed back up to the deck and pushed Donna and Tod through the portal.

Sam tried to get closer to pick up his leader, but the explosion damaged the wing on the airship. Wally used his momentum to leap into the airship, grab Sam, and through him into the portal. But, unfortunately, Wally was too late to save himself as the airship crashed into the ocean. As he sank down to the bottom of the Bermuda Triangle, Wally's lungs felt as if they were on fire as he lost his breath. But at least they had saved the passengers.

But just before his vision turned dark, two figures appeared before him and carried him out of the wreck.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Aqua-Mariner aka Nam'orn McCurry(Namor/Aquaman)**

 **Nam'orm(Namor/Ocean Master)**

 **Dr. Black Jack aka Dr. Jacqueline Kitagawa(Kitty Kitagawa/Black Jack)**

 **Marella McCurry aka Aqua-Mariner(Namora/Marella/Aquaman)**


	97. Atlantis' Reckoning Part 1

**Chapter XXXII: Atlantis' Reckoning! Part 1**

 **Atlantis, 20,000 leagues under the Bermuda Triangle**

Wally woke up with a pounding headache. As his vision began to clear up, he started to remember what had happened; a rescue operation in the Bermuda Triangle led to him being separated from the Legion, and him sinking into the ocean. But now, he recognized the architecture as an Atlantean palace.

Suddenly, the guards carrying him stopped in front of a large thrown, and they bowed in respect. "Princess!" One guard spoke up. "We found this _surface-dweller_ attempting to break through our defenses!"

Wally looked up at the woman sitting atop the throne. Unlike the two guards, her skin was a brilliant orange with green markings spread out across her body. Her long, raven hair was tied up in a bun, as a small tiara rested on her head. She wore brilliant, golden armor and held a seven-pronged trident in her left hand. She rose from the throne and kneeled down to look at the Flag's face, shocked at what she saw.

"You!" The woman gripped Wally by the jaw and forced him to look her dead in the eyes. "I know _you!_ You _dare_ to come into my kingdom like _this?! Unacceptable!"_

Wally's heart beat began to speed up. Was it possible that, at one time, H.I.D.R.A. had forced him to attack Atlantis as the Winter Speedster? If so, the people were most likely out for blood.

"Guards!" The princess pointed an angered finger at Wally's face. "Take this surface-dweller, and _THROW… HIM…!"_ Wally shut his eyes in fear, cringing as he anxiously awaited whatever punishment this monarch deemed appropriate. "A feast!"

Wally opened his eyes again in confusion, only to see that the woman was now smiling. The guards looked equally surprised, staring at their ruler as if she had just grown a second head. "Uh… m'lady? Did I hear you correctly?"

"Of course!" She replied, happily. "This is a man of great _valor_ and _courage!_ He deserves to be treated with the _highest_ of respect! Have the chefs prepare him some of our _finest_ crustaceans!" The guards continued to gawk, as if they were unsure on what to do. This made the princess frown in disappointment. "That's an _order."_ She growled.

"Y-yes, your highness." They saluted, fearfully, and marched out of the throne room to carry out her request.

"Uh…" Wally turned back to the princess, who was now giggling, uncontrollably.

"Eh, hehehe!" She held her stomach as tears of joy streamed from her eyes. "You-you should've seen your _face!_ You were all, like, 'oh, no! The fish-lady's gonna _kill_ me!' Hehehehehe!"

"... now I'm confused on _multiple_ levels." Wally deadpanned.

Finally, the woman stopped giggling, putting on a serious face. "You don't recognize me, Wally?" She asked with a warm smile.

The Flag rubbed his chin, taking a closer look at her face. During World War Two, his mentor would often converse with Nam'orn McCurry, the Aqua-Mariner, in the secret nation of Atlantis. And occasionally, Steve would bring Wally along with him. While Steve and Nam'orn discussed battle tactics and boring political subjects, Wally was lucky enough to be allowed to spend time with a beautiful Atlantean girl. The daughter of the Aqua-Mariner.

"Marella…?" Wally's lips perked up into a broad smile. _"Princess Marella McCurry?!"_ Marella nodded, eagerly, spreading her arms to give her old friend a hug. Then, as quickly as it happened, she broke the embrace and slapped his arm.

"You _jerk!_ I thought you were _dead!"_ She scowled. "How could you do that to me?!"

"Hey, I was turned into a Communist assassin!" Wally defended himself. "What was I supposed to-wait… the last time I saw you, you were the same age as me… but that was _seventy years_ ago."

"Yes?" Marella arched one eyebrow.

"So… Kent was an immortal alien, Steve was trapped in a timeless dimension, and I was periodically placed in suspended animation. So what's _your_ excuse?"

"The perks of _royal blood."_ She shrugged. "Ninety-one is the new _thirty."_

Wally pursed his lips as he processed her claim.

"Y'know, you're _cute_ when confronted with something you don't get." Marella giggled, but soon adopted a sorrowful expression. "I'm sorry for what happened to Steve."

"You _know_ about that?" Wally asked, taken back by the comment.

"Of course." She nodded. "Even beneath the waves, we hear tales of the Justice Legion of Avengers. And I _am_ sorry for your loss. I know how much he meant to you."

"Yeah…" Wally sighed, sadly.

"Follow me." She smiled, waving her hand, requesting that he follow her through the golden walls of her kingdom, close to the airtight barrier. "You deserve a _grand tour."_ Wally marveled at the spectacular view as aquatic animals huddled around the giant bubble.

In addition to the aquatic life, rows of captivating coral and kelp surrounded the underwater landscape, illuminated by the artificial light-bubbles around the city. The city itself was equally amazing. Tall towers and small merchant huts, occupied by Atlanteans on different shapes, sizes, colors, and ages who lived together in what appeared to be perfect harmony.

"It's _beautiful,_ isn't it?" Marella mused, out loud. "Seeing people of different classes interacting peacefully?"

"Different _classes?"_ Wally asked, interested. _"What_ classes?"

"Atlantean people are divided by _four_ biological classes, Wally." Marella explained. "Well, _five_ if you count my family's. But the _Seahorse House's_ genes are so _dominant,_ that they can breed with any class without compromising the genetic lifeline."

"Okay…" Wally's gazed skimmed along the people, trying to think of the right question to say. "So… those _red guys_ in the heavy armor with the spears?"

"Those are _Crab Soldiers._ They are Atlantis' military."

"And… the _green_ folks with the… uh… _toothy hats?"_

"Those are members of the _Piranha Pack._ They oversee _all_ of Atlantis' culinary and agricultural goods."

"Those _blue_ people with the tight clothes?"

" _Barracuda Citizens_. They act as _messengers_ and _entertainers."_

"And the _purple_ guys?"

"The _Octopus Merchants_ are in charge of distributing Atlantis' _goods_ and services." Marella finished. "Everyone in Atlantis has the opportunity to serve their nation and their people. In _one way,_ or _another."_

"So, who decides who's in charge?"

"Ritual combat." She answered, plainly. "Every time a king or queen dies, their chosen successor is pitted against a challenger in the ancestral battlefield. If the successor is victorious against any and all challengers, they take up the mantle of king or queen along with the duty of the Aqua-Mariner. Although I was the rightful heir to the throne, I was _too young_ to be challenged. So, up until now, my Aunt Andromeda has lead Atlantis. But _today_ is _Challenge Day._ And I can finally take my role as queen of Atlantis."

Just then, the duo came upon a brilliant marble room full of statues. Wally was in awe of the detailed carvings, and he assumed this place must have been some sort of shrine to previous rulers. "This was my _grandfather."_ Marella pointed to the latest statue. "King Tha'korr, the Strong. The first, and _only,_ Atlantean to sire a child with a surface-dweller."

The mention of his old friend made Wally notice that one king in particular was missing. "Where's Nam'orn's grave?"

Marella's smile faded away. "... long before he waged war on the surface, my father saw to it that he'd be buried on the shore of the lighthouse in Amnesty Bay, Maine."

Wally blinked in surprise. "The King of Atlantis… chose to be buried on _land?"_

"I know it sounds _odd."_ Marella hugged herself. "But my father's _exact words_ were; 'I would rather be buried in the mud with my mother, than alongside the people who hunted me as a child.'"

"So, your dad didn't _like_ being a king all that much, huh?"

"He didn't… _dislike_ it." Marella sighed. "For _ten thousand years,_ my family has held the title of Atlantis' ruler. It wouldn't have been _easy_ to just _turn down_ such an obligation. The people _hated_ him because of his human genes, but because he was Tha'korr's oldest, the law _demanded_ that they give him a chance to earn the right to lead."

"What about _you?"_ Wally questioned further. "Don't _you_ have some human in you, too? You could come back with _me._ You could join the _Justice Legion,_ just like your father. I-er… _we_ would be glad to have you."

"Yes, I _do_ possess traces of human DNA, but it only makes up _one quarter_ of my ancestry. My _mother_ was a pure-blooded Atlantean peasant girl. She… she _died_ giving birth to me, but that was _good enough_ for the Council." The princess rubbed her eyes, trying to keep the tears from reaching her cheeks. "And as for me _joining your team,_ I… I _appreciate_ the offer, Wally, but I _tried_ the superhero game on my own, back in 1963. Needless to say, it didn't end very well. Sometimes… I wonder what _either_ of my parents would think of me now."

"Your father would have been _proud,_ Marella." A voice drew their attention. An older woman in a flamboyant, golden dress approached the princess, who bowed in respect.

"Aunt Andromeda." She smiled. "How are you feeling today?"

" _Joyful_ , my niece." Andromeda mirrored her smile. "Soon you will be queen. After the crowning ceremony, you will briefly enter the astral plane, where your father will give you his blessing."

"He will?" Marella looked interested.

"Yes…" Andromeda nodded. "He is _with_ us, Marella."

As her aunt turned away to prepare for the ceremony, Marella looked back at Flag. "Wait!" She called, earning her aunt's attention. "This is Wallace Barnes. An old friend. I… I would appreciate it if he could attend the ritual combat."

* * *

Hours later, Andromeda escorted the Flag to the battlegrounds at the edge of Atlantis' border. The royal guards aimed their spears at the arena, chanting and dancing to charge them with mystic energies. Suddenly, their combined magic created a dome of magic that altered the water. The ruins were still submerged, but the water pressure had greatly decreased around the battle arena. Beyond the ancient stadium, a one hundred foot continental slope surrounded by deadly currents.

Wally felt slightly uncomfortable with the breathing apparatus on his face, but he still enjoyed the beautiful ceremony. The music and singing grew louder, prompting the super-speedster to dance along with them as best as he could. But he froze in surprise when he saw Marella enter the arena.

Marella was now stripped of her armor, wearing only enough to cover her private areas. Wally's face turned bright red as he couldn't help but stare at his friend's curvy body. Luckily, nobody else noticed; they were too busy dancing and singing in honor of the timeless ceremony as High Priest Vulko approached the center of the arena.

"People of Atlantis…" Vulko began. "I present to you… Princess Marella! The Aqua-Mariner!" The crowd cheered in excitement before the high priest went on. "The mystical energies of the ritual will temporarily _strip_ the princess of the Aqua-Mariner's _powers!_ Leaving her to rely on her _own_ strength! Victory in ritual combat comes by _yield…_ or _death._ If _any region_ wishes to bring forth a challenger, I now offer a _path_ to the _throne."_

Wally witnessed the region leaders converse with their people, searching for anyone who would be brave enough to challenge the status of the royal bloodline. At last, the leaders stepped forth with their answers.

A grizzled, muscular Atlantean in red armor stepped forward, tapping his spear on the ground. "The Crab Soldiers… will _not_ challenge, today." He bowed in respect, which Marella returned.

Another leader, dressed in green robes with long, thin, metal fangs clipped to the sides of his jaw, followed suit. "The Piranha Pack will _not_ challenge, today." She, too, bowed to her princess, respectfully.

The third leader wore blue, skin-tight clothing, with extravagant tattoos branded all over his skin. "The Barracuda Citizens will not _challenge_ , today." Marella's lips curved up as he bowed.

The final leader, wearing a purple dress with her hair braided into eight strands crossed her arms over her chest. "The Octopus Merchants will not challenge, _today."_

Marella felt relieved. By not challenging her birthright, the region leaders had demonstrated how much they trusted her to lead them. Better still, Wally made sure to give her a thumbs-up, earning a nod from her in response.

"Very well!" Vulko beamed. "Then by the powers vested in me, I now present to you-" But the high priest was about to place the crown on Marella's head, he was interrupted by a low chanting coming from the trenches.

"Meerca!"

"Whoo-hah!"

"Meerca!"

"Whoo-hah!"

"Meerca!"

"Whoo-hah!

The chanting grew louder, echoing around the underwater chasm. At last, a small group of men and women with pitch black skin emerged from the darkness. Led by an Atlantean wearing a circular helmet with manta ray features, the group continued to chant as they made their way towards the princess. When they stopped, the leader took off his mask, revealing his piercing red eyes.

"D'vid…" Vulko spat, bitterly. "What are you _doing_ here?"

"It's _Challenge Day…"_ The tribe leader retorted. Turning his back on Vulko and Marella, he addressed the rest of the gathered Atlanteans. "We have _watched_ and _listened_ from the trenches! We have watched with _disgust_ as you have welcomed a _surface-dweller_ into Atlantis' gates with _open arms!"_

The royal guard instinctively blocked D'vid's path with their spears, protecting Wally, although, the speedster didn't seem fazed by the threat. Regardless, D'vid shot a menacing glare at the Flag before returning to Marella. "And _now,_ you want to hand our nation over to this _bastard spawn_ of the _half-blooded madman_ who nearly led us to _ruin!"_ Marella scowled as he towered over her, giving a look of utter contempt. "We will not have it… I say _we! Will! Not! Have it…!_ I,D'vid… leader of the _Black Manta Tribe,_ son o-"

"I _accept_ your challenge, D'vid." Marella interrupted, her voice laced with venom.

D'vid grinned. "Glory to Atlantis."

As Marella and D'vid chose their weapons for the fight, the royal guard and Manta Tribe took their place around the arena to provide a barrier that would periodically push the combatants towards the drop off. Vulko stepped aside and tapped his scepter on the ground, twice. "Let the challenge… _begin!"_

D'vid chose to go on the offensive, charging at Marella with his spear and club. Marella managed to block his attack with her shield, but it resulted in her losing her footing. D'vid stabbed his spear at her, then hit her in the head with his club. "Ha ha ha! _Where_ is your father, _now?!"_ He mocked.

Marella's anger bubbled to the surface, clouding her mind with negative thoughts. She advanced with her sword to knock D'vid's next blow away, then struck him in the chest with her shield. Wally let out a proud "Whoop!" in excitement. The guards and tribe stepped closer to the combatants, limiting their fighting space.

This time, when Marella attacked, D'vid sacrificed his club to completely disarm her and kick her to the ground. The Tribesman wrapped his arms around the princess, keeping her in a tight, crushing bear-hug. As she struggled to break free, D'vid slammed his head against her own, drawing a bit of blood in the process. Wally and Andromeda grew nervous as Marella failed to break free from her enemy's grip.

"HA HA HA HA!" D'vid laughed as he continued to smash his head against hers. "No _powers!_ No _trident!_ No _magic armor!_ Just a _girl,_ not _fit_ to rule our people!"

Marella's vision blurred, her body went limp, and she gasped as pain racked her body. For a moment, she considered what D'vid had just said. Without her powers or the trident, D'vid had now surely bested her. It made her wonder if she deserved to be Atlantis' queen. But despite the anguish, her eyes focused on her aunt -the woman who had faithfully trained her to take her father's place as ruler- and she now held a look of faith in the princess as she called out to her. "Show him who you _are!"_

"RRRRRAAAAAAGH!" With all her strength, Marella freed her arm and slammed her elbow into D'vid's face, causing him to stumble backwards. The tribesman tried to stab her again with his wooden spear, but she swiftly dodged the attack and snapped the weapon in half with her leg. Then, she used his own momentum against him and threw him onto the ground. "RAAAGH! I am Princess Marella! Daughter of King Nam'orn!"

"You can _do_ this, Marella!" Wally cheered.

D'vid advanced again, but Marella quickly ducked out of his way and tackled his legs. Once he was on his back, she wrapped one of her powerful thighs around his neck, keeping him pinned as they drew dangerously close to the edge of the drop off. For an instant, Marella considered ending his life then and there. But as she could feel his struggles growing weaker, she remembered how she felt when Hyperman killed her father. No matter what he had said to her, Marella would not wish for D'vid's own family to go through the same thing.

"Yield!" She shouted. "You have fought _honorably!_ Now, _yield!"_

"I would rather _die!"_ D'vid spat, stubbornly.

"No!" Marella protested. "Don't make me kill you! Think of your _tribe!_ Your people _need_ you! What will happen to them if you die?! _Yield, dammit!"_

D'vid could see the anxious looks on his tribe's faces. In truth, just as Marella's family had been the longest ruler of Atlantis, his family had been the longest rulers of the Manta Tribe. Without a leader, they might descend into madness, turning against each other until they were wiped out. At last, he decided that he could not let that happen, and he tapped Marella's thigh three times. The challenge had ended.

The crowd cheered for Marella as she released D'vid and helped him back to his feet. As the Black Manta Tribe retreated back to the trenches, Vulko approached Marella, with the crown in his hands and a smile on his face. The former princess bowed as he placed the crown on her head, and held up her arm.

"I present to you… _Queen_ Marella! The Aqua-Mariner!"

"NOBILIS REGINA!" Marella saluted her people, earning a roar of applause.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **D'vid(Byrrah/Black Manta)**

 **Author's note: The majority of Atlanteans have blue skin, but the members of the Seahorse House have orange skin because of their royal genes, and the members of the Black Manta Tribe have pitch-black skin because they live in the dark trenches.**

 **Also, "Nobilis regina" is a play on Namor's signature catchphrase "Imperius rex." I used google translate on the latter, and it came up with "King Imperius." So I dabbled with what a queen would say, and came up with the Latin form of "Noble Queen," which is what Marella's name means in this story.**


	98. Atlantis' Reckoning Part 2

**Chapter XXXII: Atlantis' Reckoning! Part 2**

 _ **Atlantis. February 14, 1943.**_

 _Kid-Flag couldn't help but scratch at the uncomfortable breathing apparatus the Atlanteans provided for him. As exciting as it was to be heading towards the fabled city under the Bermuda Triangle, every so often, he was pinched by the seams of the mask. But at the moment, he distracted himself from his discomfort by focusing on his special project._

 _Holding a piece of pink coral in one hand, Wally vibrated his opposing index finger to gently carve a specific shape out of it. His hands were beginning to ache from the intense concentration, but at last, his task was complete._ "It's perfect!" _He thought._ "Now, all I gotta do is find-"

" _Hello, Wally." A voice came from behind him._

 _Wally nearly jumped out of his own skin as he spun around to greet his Atlantean friend. His face turned almost as red as his hair once he saw the skimpy outfit Marella was wearing._ "Scandalous." _Wally thought that was the word the headmistress used to describe that kind of clothing. He strained with all his might to ignore her petite breasts and look her in the eyes, as he smiled, weakly._

" _M-Marella! I-I was just looking for you!" He stammered, still holding the gift behind his back._

" _Are you enjoying your trip to Atlantis? I hope that mask isn't too uncomfortable."_

" _Oh, it's fine." He lied, ready to reveal his present. "I… I made you this."_

 _Marella gave a perplexed look. Wally had handed her a piece of pink coral. It looked as if it had been carved into a spearhead, but the point was facing down, and the edges were too round. "Uh, what is_ this?" _She asked, trying not to insult him._

" _It's… it's a_ valentine." _He explained, still blushing. "It's a gift we_ surface-dwellers _give to someone who we lo…_ like _a lot. I saw some guys_ picking on you, _earlier. I thought it might make you feel better."_

 _Marella's heart melted at the kind gesture. She took the coral in her hands and hugged it to her bosom. "Oh, Wally! Never before have I ever heard such a sweet sentiment! Thank you!"_

 _The speedster's mind raced faster than his feet ever could. Why did she look so cute?_

" _Hey, anytime, pal!" Wally smiled, awkwardly, as he backed away. Once he was out of sight, he blushed brighter still and buried his face in his palms. "Did I just call a princess_ 'pal'?!"

 _As for Marella, she was baffled by the boy's sudden change in behavior. Nevertheless, it was sweet of Wally to want to make her feel better. She took the valentine to place it next to her bed._

* * *

 **Atlantis. Present day.**

Marella had ordered Wally to wait for her in her private quarters as she and the elders completed the final act of her ascension to the throne. Her aunt and Vulko guided her into the sacred chamber of the palace and laid her down into a shallow bed of sand. Andromeda placed the Aqua-Mariner's trident over her chest, and they proceeded to bury her in the sand.

"Allow the magic of Aegir's trident to _restore_ your powers…" Vulko prayed. "And take you to the _afterlife…"_

The elders chanted, quietly, as a brilliant aura shone through the sand. To the new queen, the chant started to sound like a soft lullaby as they rocked back and forth on their knees. Marella's eyelids grew heavy as she slowly slipped into unconsciousness. At last, her eyes closed.

Marella slowly sat up, brushing the beach's sand off of her. Once she got to her feet, she was surprised to see that she was wearing an outfit similar to one her father gave her on her sixteenth birthday. She quickly recognized her surroundings as the lighthouse in Amnesty Bay. Her father's home.

"My angel fish."

She froze at the sound of a familiar voice. Slowly turning around, she smiled at the sight of her long lost father. The former king of Atlantis was dressed in a casual garb, common for a lighthouse keeper. The two monarchs shared a brief moment of silence before Nam'orn stepped closer to hold her hands. "Oh, how I've _missed you,_ my precious angel fish." He sighed, softly, caressing her cheek.

With trembling lips, Marella fell to her knees and hugged her father's waist. "I'm sorry, papa… I'm so sorry…"

"Stand _up."_ He replied, sternly. "You are a _queen."_ Gently pulling her back up to her feet, Nam'orn wrapped his arms around his daughter, pulling her into a proper hug. "What's _wrong,_ my daughter?"

"... I'm not _ready,_ papa." Marella answered, sadly.

Nam'orn wasn't convinced. "Have you not trained your entire life for this moment?" He asked. "Studied under your aunt's guidance?"

"That's not what I mean, papa." She sniffled. "I don't know if I'm ready to be a queen without _your help."_

Nam'orn sighed and smiled, softly. Tilting her head up, slightly, he carefully directed her gaze to meet his eyes. "A man who has not prepared his children for his own death has _failed_ as a father. Tell me, Marella, have I failed you?"

" _Never."_ Marella shook her head and wiped her eyes. "I want to be a _good_ queen, papa. How can I keep Atlantis safe?"

"You're going to _struggle_ , as all leaders do." He advised. "So, you must surround yourself with people you know you can _trust_. And should the time come when you feel you have no one to trust, follow your instincts and trust your _own_ judgement to find new people to help you. And most important of all, _never_ forget that your family loves you."

Marella gasped and burst from the sand. Andromeda was the first to hold her steady. "Marella! _Calm down!"_ She cooed. "It's okay… _breath…_ how do you feel?"

"I _saw_ him…" The queen smiled, happily. "He was _there…_ my father was _there."_

"Told you so." Andromeda smirked.

A little while later, Marella was walking back to her private quarters alongside her two most trusted guards; Tula and Murk. The latter of whom worked up the courage to ask a long-brewing grievance. "Queen Marella?"

"Yes, Murk?"

"As you well remember, the wretched Black Jack killed my parents when she invaded Atlantis." The Crab Soldier explained. "Allow me to take a squadron to the surface and bring her to justice."

Marella groaned in slight frustration. She could understand Murk's desire to chase after Kitagawa, but she couldn't risk endangering Atlantis' safety without violating their isolationist lifestyle. "I will say this _one more time,_ Murk." She said, firmly. "We will _not_ be attacking the surface world anytime soon."

"... I didn't hate your father because he was half-human." Murk grunted. "I just didn't like how _squeamish_ he was about going against his _home…_ with you, I thought it'd be _different."_

With that, the bulky Atlantean stomped away. Tula looked to her new queen, and felt a swell of sympathy in her chest. "Please, don't take it personally, my queen." She assured. "Murk's just _like that."_

As Tula went to check on her friend, Marella rubbed her temples in anguish. _"Well, aren't we off to a_ great start." She thought to herself. Suddenly, she realized she was still garbed in her ceremonial clothes… and they smelled less than pleasant. Unhooking the latch between the sea-shells, she sighed in relief as her breasts were freed from the restricting garb. She was just taking off the skirt as she stepped into her room.

"Oh, hey, Marella. How was- _AAAUGH!"_ Wally blushed bright red and covered his eyes once he noticed his friend was only covering her nether regions.

"Oh, hi, Wally." Marella waved, nonchalantly. She discarded the battle clothing and headed for her dresser. "Hmm… what to _wear,_ what to _wear._ " She mused to herself. Wally forced himself to look away as she bent over.

" _This is my Hell…"_ Wally whispered under his breath.

"Hard to believe you used to be _Kid-Flag."_ Marella chuckled as she closed the closet door. "Flag's little boy all _grown up."_ Once the queen turned back to face the super-speedster, she immediately noticed he was sitting on the bed and his legs were crossed. "Grown up in _all_ places, apparently." She chortled.

"Well… to be _fair,_ you're not dressed very… _modestly."_ He stuttered in defense.

As a response, Marella simply held her new wardrobe over her shoulder and placed her hands on her hips, smiling devilishly. "Hate to break it to you, Mr. '1940's,' but Atlanteans don't really have a concept of _modesty."_

"Okay… if you're done _tormenting_ me…" Wally groaned as Marella finally started getting dressed. "I'd like some _help_ getting back home. An Atlantean terrorist destroyed a cruise ship over the Bermuda Triangle. I need to find my airship."

"Whoa, whoa, back up." Marella adjusted the fabric around her hips. "What makes you think the attacker was _Atlantean?"_

"Well, I only saw her for a _moment,_ but, heh-heh…" He leaned against the wall and smirked. "When you're _the Flag,_ a moment is all you _need._ Anyway, I saw her smashing the engine room with a weird _trident._ And she was wearing a _helmet."_

"Helmet? What _kind_ of helmet?"

"It was _silver,_ had like a _fin_ on top…" Wally did his best to describe it when he got an idea. Rushing out of the room as quickly as possible, returning with a piece of coral and used his vibrating finger to etch a sketch into it. "Like _this."_ He showed her.

Marella's eyes shrank from shock as she took the coral into her own hands. "Are… are you _certain_ this is the helmet you saw?"

"Yeah, why? You've seen it before?"

"Come with me…" She beckoned.

* * *

 **England.**

Jessica Marrius climbed into the private submarine, handing her empty oxygen tank to her boyfriend and giving him a passionate kiss on the lips. "Hey, baby." He greeted.

" _Hey,_ baby." She smiled back.

Holding hands, the duo walked towards their employer; Dr. Jacqueline Kitagawa, alias Dr. Black Jack. The elderly pirate was hooked up to a high-tech wheelchair that fed her oxygen, and cybernetic sleeves that allowed her to use her arms. "Ha ha! Well done, my friend!" She congratulated.

"Do _all_ your jobs involve run-ins with the _JLA?"_ Jessica verbally jabbed at the elderly crime boss.

"All my jobs involve the _highest_ of _tech."_ Black Jack retorted. "And thanks to your distraction, Ocean Monger, our robbery of that Cuban museum was a complete _success!"_ She motioned towards the rest of her crew, as they unloaded multiple crates of gold out from the sub. "Unfortunately, we'll have to _lay low_ for a few months before we can get any _cash._ Don't worry, darling, I'll personally see to it that you get paid."

"I ain't worried about the money, girl." Jessica whipped her hair back. "I know you're _good_ for it. Oh, but on our way to your new hideout, drop me off in Atlantis."

"You don't wanna go _there,_ Jessie." The doctor warned.

"Yes, I do." Ocean Monger protested, bluntly. With lightning-fast reflexes, the terrorist sliced up the henchman with her trident. Black Jack grabbed Jessica's lover and held a gun to his head.

"Drop it!" She ordered. "Now! Or your little 'Bonnie-and-Clyde' routine is _over!"_

"I-I'm _sorry."_ The man shuddered. "I'm _sorry,_ Jessica."

"It's gonna be _okay,_ baby." She promised. Without hesitation, she stabbed the trident through his chest and sliced the tube that fed Black Jack her oxygen.

Spluttering and gagging, Black Jack dropped the dead man to the floor as Jessica pulled the trident out. "You… you _really_ want to got to Atlantis?" She coughed. "They are _savages._ You'll be _dead_ before you get within _eyesight_ of that place! What makes you think you'll get in?!"

Ocean Monger tilted her head back, straining the muscles in her neck. Three sets of gills opened up on each side of her neck. Black Jack was mildly surprised, but laughed in spite of herself.

"Oh…" Kitagawa chuckled to herself. "To think I saw you as some _crazy American…"_

The last thing the elderly pirate saw was a circular trident digging into her chest.

* * *

 **Atlantis. The Sacred Chambers.**

"Vulko… I must speak with you." Marella ordered the other religious leaders out of the temple and asked Wally to step to the side. The queen stepped closer to the man who helped her grow and crossed her arms. "What happened to my uncle?"

Vulko was deathly quiet. Wally could tell that this was a touchy subject for the elder Atlantean. Nevertheless, Marella pressed on. "You looked after the education of my father, aunt, _and_ uncle. Just as you did with _me._ What happened to my uncle?"

"What brought this up?" Vulko asked, at last.

"My _friend,_ the Flag…" She motioned to Wally and held up the coral drawing. "He was brought here because he encountered a woman who was wearing _this helmet._ And he has _never_ given me a reason to doubt him."

"... that is not _possible."_ Vulko replied, uneasily.

Marella's grip on the coral grew tighter. Her surface-dweller friend could practically hear her blood pressure rising. "My friend was assaulted by a woman, and she was wearing _this_ helmet! My _uncle's_ helmet! Do not tell what is _possible,_ tell me the _truth!"_

"Marella, calm down!" Wally tried.

"I swore an oath to my ruler never to-"

" _I_ am your ruler, now!" Marella bellowed.

Vulko sighed, heavily. "Your uncle, Prince Nam'orm… was assigned to a wardog mission in the United States. And _I_ was assigned to watch over him. Unbeknownst to your father, Nam'orm fell in love with a woman there… and they sired a child together."

The new queen was taken aback by this information, as was her friend. When she didn't say anything, the high priest continued. "During his time on the surface, your uncle became disgusted by how much pollution the surface-dwellers allowed to leak into the oceans. And more so by how _little_ they did to clean it up. He planned to wage war on the surface behind your father's back, until _I_ alerted him of his ploy."

"No…" Marella's voice sounded broken. Wally had never seen his friend so disheartened. "What… what happened after that?"

"Your father managed to visit Nam'orm and myself before he could strike." Vulko went on. "The prince desperately tried to defend his quest, but his plea fell on deaf ears as the king ordered him to return to Atlantis in _disgrace…_ he… he drew his weapon at _me,_ but Nam'orn struck back at him."

"No, no, no, no…" Marella breathed, heavily.

"Your father, killed his _own brother-_ one of the _few_ Atlanteans who ever believed in him -to _save_ my life." Vulko finished, mournfully.

"... and my cousin?"

"I never told him about her." The high priest's head hung in shame. "We… we _left_ her there."

Marella couldn't take it anymore; she hurried out of the Chambers, weeping. Wally didn't hesitate to follow, knowing it would take more than Valentines to make her feel better. It didn't take long for him to catch up to her, as she had stopped just outside of the palace.

"He killed his _own brother…"_ She sobbed. "And then he just left his niece behind. In such a _cruel_ world."

"There was _no way_ he could have known." Wally comforted. "Vulko said it, himself; he never told your dad about her. For all _we_ know, if he _did_ find out, he would've taken her in without a second thought."

Before Marella could reply, Tula swam up to the duo with a startled look in her eyes. "My queen, you'll _never guess_ who just showed up at Atlantis' gates."

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Jessica Marrius aka Ocean Monger(Namora/Siren/Ocean Master)**


	99. Atlantis' Reckoning Part 3

**Chapter XXXII: Atlantis' Reckoning! Part 3**

 **Atlantis. The War Room.**

One hour ago, Marella had learned that her father had been forced to kill his only brother to prevent Atlantis from going to war with the surface, only to leave behind his own niece. Fifty-six minutes ago, she had been informed that an Atlantean woman had shown up at the border, carrying the dead remains of Dr. Jacqueline "Black Jack" Kitagawa and a circular trident with her.

"I saw it _myself."_ Tula explained as she held up the digital picture of the woman. "She delivered Kitagawa's corpse in a _black bag._ The wound on her chest indicates it _was_ caused by her trident. She is clearly _Atlantean,_ but no one knows who she is."

"I _know_ her." Wally crossed his arms as he studied the picture of the intruder.

"You _do?"_ Marella's eyebrow arched in confusion.

"Well, the _Winter Speedster_ does." He corrected. "Back when H.I.D.R.A. had me on their _leash,_ they gave me a _list_ of all the potential threats to their operations. _This_ is Jessica Marrius. Graduated from _M.I.T._ in 1991 with _highest honors,_ then joined the Navy S.E.A.L.s where she racked up _confirmed kills_ as if it were a _videogame._ Her superiors nicknamed her _'Ocean Monger'_ because of years later, she joined up with Kitagawa to pursue the quest of _toppling governments._ After Zero failed to persuade her to join H.I.D.R.A., he ordered _me_ to kill her. She was one of the _only_ targets to ever escape."

"You… after everything your allies did for your mind, you still _remember_ some of them?" Marella carried a touch of sympathy in her tone. Wally hung his head, as if he were ashamed.

"I remember _all_ of them."

"My queen?" Tula piped up. "What do we do?"

* * *

 **The Throne Room.**

"Are you… _sure_ about this?" Wally whispered into his friend's ear.

"What _choice_ do I have?" Marella replied. "Kitagawa has been a target of Atlanteans for _decades._ To turn away her killer without question would raise too much suspicion." After an understanding nod from her friend, the queen turned to the Crab Soldiers. "Send her in. But keep the restraints _on."_

The gilded doors opened up, and six Crab Soldiers, including Tula and Murk, led the prisoner inside. The woman looked unimpressed as she gazed at the regional elders. She lifted her hands to cast a sour gaze at her restraints. "I guess somethings are _always_ the same." She laughed, dryly. "Even _underwater_ back folks are kept in _chains."_

Marella shifted, uncomfortably, in her throne as she cleared her voice. "We… _appreciate_ you bringing Kitagawa to us." She began. "Your… _valor_ is to be commended."

"Damn straight." The terrorist chuffed. "I'm in _your house,_ serving _justice_ to a bitch your _king_ couldn't deliver."

Marella angrily rose from her seat and marched towards the captive. Breathing steadily, she leaned towards her ear and whispered. "You have _insulted_ my king. My _father._ I have put fellow Atlanteans in _traction_ for less than what you've said. The only reason I do not lay a _finger_ on you right now, is because I _know_ who you are."

Jessica chuckled. "Yeah? Do _they?"_ She motioned to the elders, smugly. "Go ahead, your highness. Ask who I _am."_

"No." Marella growled before turning to the guards. "Get her out of my sight." But the prisoner was not done yet. She broke free from her shackles and pushed the Crab Soldiers back.

"I am _Hilera!_ Daughter of prince Nam'orm!" The room filled with a startled gasp. "I found my daddy _dead_ on the floor of my apartment with a _trident stab wound_ in his chest! You ain't the daughter of a _king,_ you're the daughter of a _murderer!"_

" _Lies!"_ Andromeda bellowed, angrily. "You _dare_ speak lies of our former king?!"

"I'm afraid they are _not_ lies, High Andromeda." Murk interrupted, holding up the silver helmet of Atlantis' fallen prince.

Hilera smirked at the shocked expressions surrounding her before turning back to the delegate. _"Hey,_ auntie." But her joking demeanor soon vanished, replaced by a serious scowl. "I am exercising my _right_ to the throne! I _challenge_ Princess Marella to ritual combat for the right to lead Atlantis!"

"You can't do that!"

"She is _daughter_ of the former prince, she has the _right."_

"She is an _outsider,_ she has _no rights_ here!"

"The ceremony will take _weeks_ to prepare!"

"Enough…" Marella breathed, silencing everyone. "I _accept_ you challenge, Hilera."

It didn't take long to prepare the challenge. Vulko reactivated the magic barrier, canceling out all magic-based powers the two combatants possessed. Marella had ordered two Crab Soldiers to hold Wally back, to ensure that he would not interfere. But while Wally was uncertain about the whole affair, Andromeda was confident in her niece's abilities.

Ocean Monger emerged from the challenger's side of the arena, her exposed flesh covered in tally marks. A wicked smile crept over her lips as she pointed to each mark with her sword. "You _like_ these?" She mocked. "Each mark is for a _kill._ I've killed approximately _two hundred and seventy-three_ people. I killed in _Afghanistan. Iraq. Pakistan._ I killed my own _brothers and sisters_ in _Africa._ And all this _death…_ just to kill _you."_

Marella steadied herself, crouching into a defensive position. Ocean Monger didn't even bother; she just paced back and forth, casting a deadly gaze at her opponent. The High Priest tapped his spear on the ground. "Let the challenge _begin!"_

Marella made the first move, rushing towards her enemy with a precision attack. But the pirate dodged her attacks, moving as fluidly as the very water surrounding them. It wasn't until she tried to jab that her opponent smacked her in the face with her shield. A soft gasp escaped from Andromeda's lips, but she managed to stifle it.

The queen went back to slashing at her foe, only to be blocked every time. Ocean Monger quickly disarmed the queen with her own sword, and held the blade up to her neck. Everyone gathered was on the edge of their seats, fearfully anticipating her next move.

But the woman simply tossed her own weapons aside and put up her fists. Marella mimicked her fighting stance and managed to land a few good jabs and a powerful right hook. Wally felt temporarily relieved, but the match wasn't over, yet. Hilera rose back to her feet and charged at her cousin with enough force to topple a tank.

Once back on her feet, the challenger swung a swift kick into Marella's stomach, frightening their aunt. Ocean Monger mercilessly kept kicking and stomping on her enemy with a blind hatred, until she could feel her ribs cracking beneath her heel. Much to Andromeda's horror, Hilera marched over to her sword, and held it aloft in front of the crowd.

 _"This_ is what happens when you try to _cross_ me!" She bellowed. "This is for my _father!"_

But as the blade came down, Vulko knocked it away with his spear and looked Hilera in the eyes. "Daughter of Nam'orm, stop this. This is _not_ what you want."

"Vulko, _no!"_ Andromeda choked out.

 _"I_ am the cause of your father's death. Not her." The High Priest continued. "Take _me,_ instead."

Hilera just stared at the Atlantean elder, blankly. Marella, still breathing heavily, looked up in anticipation. With lightning-fast reflexes, Hilera stole the spear away from him. "I'll kill you _both,_ Uncle Landon!" She snarled, and stabbed the spear through his heart.

"NO!" Marella cried in agony. Warm blood poured out from Vulko's chest and onto her face. The priest fell to the ground, choking and spluttering before the life faded away from his eyes. Marella tearfully crawled over to her friend, mourning loudly. "Vulko, no! Please! No! _You!"_

The queen grabbed her sword, and once again slashed at her opponent. But her focus was clouded by rage, and her vision was clouded further by the physical trauma she had sustained. It was even easier for Hilera to dodge her attacks before kneeing her in the gut, sending her back to the ground.

"Is _this_ your queen?! Huh?!" Hilera bellowed to the crowd as she continued to beat Marella senseless. "Is _this_ your queen?!" The elders were horrified at the sight of their queen being bludgeoned before them. "The _Aqua-Mariner!_ Who was supposed to lead you into the _future!"_

 _"Come on,_ Marella!" Andromeda sobbed, unable to contain herself.

"Get up, Marella! Don't give up!" This time, Wally wasn't cheering; he was _begging._ He desperately wanted to intervene, but the Crab Soldiers forcefully held him back.

"She's supposed to _protect_ you!" Hilera spat. "She can't even protect _herself!"_

Ocean Monger lifted the fallen queen onto her shoulders and made her way over to the drop-off. Wally screamed in anguish, trying to break free from the Crab Soldiers, but it was no good. Andromeda dropped to her knees, begging for all of this to simply be a bad dream. But the terrorist threw Marella's limp body off of the cliff, sending her spiraling into a deadly riptide that swept her away.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Andromeda cried, tearfully.

Wally couldn't take it anymore. Vibrating every molecule in his body, he slipped free from the Crab Soldiers and made his way over to Andromeda. "We need to go." He tugged at her shoulders. "Your highness, we need to go, _now!"_

Andromeda sobbed as she was carried away at hyperspeed by the surface-dweller. Luckily, everyone else was so transfixed by what had just transpired, they hadn't noticed their escape. Ocean Monger turned away from the drop off, making her way towards a trembling priestess. The former pirate bowed her head as her father's helmet was placed back on her head.

"Nah… _I'm_ the queen, now." She announced to the audience, earning a reluctant salute. Fortunately, everyone was too distracted to see the flash of lightning steal the Aqua-Mariner's trident.

A few hours later, Ocean Monger was dressed in traditional Atlantean garbs, holding her father's trident, and sat down on the throne to address the other regional leaders. "It's all going to _stop."_ She said, at last.

"What is, my queen?" Murk asked.

"Where _I_ come from, people throw their trash into the ocean without giving it a second _thought."_ Her voice was calm, but carried a strong message. "They've been _polluting_ and _contaminating_ the water of this world for _too long._ We have an _army._ We have my father's _trident._ We'll start with _America._ Attack them at the coasts, take out whatever resistance stands in our way, and eventually _flood_ them to our level. And then do the same to the _rest_ of the world."

"My queen…" Tula interrupted. "With _all due respect,_ Atlantis has survived _this long_ by staying _out of reach_ from the surface world. If we go to _war,_ we risk _opening ourselves_ to _their_ weapons."

"Atlantis has survived that way in the _past,_ yes." Murk countered. "But the world is _changing._ And soon, it will be either the _conquerors_ or the _conquered._ I think I'd rather be the _former."_

Everyone else in the room agreed, much to Tula's disdain.

* * *

 **Just Outside the Borders of Atlantis.**

Andromeda had directed Wally to the hanger where the Crab Soldiers had impounded his airship. The plan was to take Marella's trident to D'Vid, the only tribal leader who had challenged her, and explain the situation to him. With any luck, he would find the idea of an outsider leading Atlantis more appalling than if the Aqua-Mariner's child did.

The former ruler of Atlantis quivered as Wally tried to open the airship's door. "First my _parents._ Then my _brothers._ And now, my own _niece…_ I didn't even get to _bury_ her." She sobbed into her hands, prompting the Flag to solemnly console her.

"I… I don't know what to _say,_ Lady Andromeda." He sighed. Marella's death had hit the speedster hard just as badly. Being reunited with the woman who set his heart aflame, only to lose her just as quickly. He thought he'd be used to losing the people he loved by now, but that was not the case. Regardless, there was no time to grieve; he needed to get the airship running and find D'Vid.

But the access panel was fighting him. _["Voice authentication required."]_

"Flag."

 _["Access denied."]_

"Uh, _the_ Flag."

 _["Access denied."]_

"Uh, _Flag II?"_

 _["Access denied."]_

"Winter Speedster?"

 _["Access denied."]_

" _Kid-_ Flag?"

 _["Access denied."]_

Suddenly, Wally remembered a conversation he had with Emerald Man regarding his admission to the JLA, and he punched the metal door in frustration. "Jesus _Christ,_ Jordan. I didn't think you were _serious."_ He grumbled, bitterly. "This is _Redhead, White, and Blue_ ordering you to _rock and roll_ on that _forty-five!"_

 _["Acknowledged. Welcome,_ 'Redhead, White, and Blue.' _"]_ The computer chirped and opened the hatch.

At last, the duo were soaring beneath the waves, headed straight for the home of the Black Manta Tribe. Andromeda found it difficult to get comfortable in a vessel constructed for air travel, but her mind was preoccupied with their current quest.

"Wallace, I am not so _certain_ that this is the right move." She said, gravely. "We may be creating a _bigger_ monster by siding with D'Vid."

"I'm afraid we don't have much of a _choice,_ my lady." Wally sighed. "I can't contact the JLA when we're _this low._ Besides, they most likely wouldn't _get here_ in time."

"But… what if _you_ used the power of the trident?" She offered. The Flag was so surprised, he nearly crashed the ship. "I can _temporarily_ transfer the powers of the Aqua-Mariner into your body, adding them to your already _formidable_ power. You would be _more_ than a match for Ocean Monger."

Wally was silent for what felt like an eternity. His mind raced so quickly it almost hurt. At last, he made his decision. "No. I'm _sorry,_ but… after everything that's _happened_ to me -everything that's been _done_ to me- I have no clue what could happen. It might accidentally _trigger_ my Winter Speedster programming again. Or the Speed Force might _reject_ it, altogether. Or… or it might _kill_ me."

"Winter Speedster?" Andromeda asked.

"It's… it's a long story." He explained. "Bottom line… _this_ is our only option."

"Very well." She conceited. "In that case, land _here._ We've arrived."

Wally gently touched down on the edge of the Trenches, home of the Black Mantas. Andromeda went ahead of her escort, clutching the trident as if her life depended on it. Once she got close enough to the pitch-black crevice of the deep sea, she instructed Flag to stay back for the moment.

Resting on one knee, she bowed her head and lifted the trident upwards. "I humbly ask that you lend me your ears, mighty Mantas…" She called out. "I, Lady Andromeda -former princess of Atlantis- come to bear a _message_ to your leader, D'Vid…"

Aside from his own breaths within the breathing apparatus, Wally thought the silence was deafening. Suddenly, a pair of piercing red eyes emerged from the solid darkness, and a Manta soldier stepped forward to greet the Atlantean delegate.

"Come… I will take you to D'Vid."

 **To Be Continued!**


	100. Atlantis' Reckoning Part 4

**Author's note: Wow. Just…** _ **wow.**_ **I honestly didn't think I'd actually make it to** _ **one hundred chapters.**_ **I just want to express how** _ **grateful**_ **I am for this story and those who read it. It's been my longest, and most fun project on this website since I first started. I'd like to thank Flautist4ever for all her support since I the beginning and always willing to give advice. I'd also like to thank JTR01, my newest reader for taking a sudden interest in it to let me know others do appreciate my work. Anyway, I am so happy to have one hundred chapters up, and I look forward to the last three stories before this comes to a close. Now, on with the adventure!**

 **Chapter XXXII: Atlantis' Reckoning! Part 4**

 **Boston, Massachusetts.**

Boston is a perfect place to visit during the summer. Historic sights, popular market places, Little Italy, and of course, the lovely beaches. People came from miles just to enjoy swimming and sunbathing. The sun was shining, the cool water crashed against the warm sand, and everyone was having a good time.

One little girl was joyfully building sandcastles by the coast while her mother kept a close watch. Suddenly, a tall woman garbed in shining armor, holding a circular trident marched out of the water as if just taking a stroll. The woman stopped just in front of the girl, looking down on her with a look of contempt.

"Are you a _sea monster?"_ The innocent girl asked.

"Do I _look_ like a monster?" Was Ocean Monger's calm reply. Soon, more armored people started marching out of the tides, unfazed by the crashing waves. The girl's mother quickly picked her up and ran away. Everyone else was flabbergasted by the strange group, taking pictures and streaming live videos.

Just then, the leader lifted her trident in the air, and the water lurched backwards to form a mighty tsunami. The crowd screamed in horror as they ran away from the menacing waters. But it was no use; the water swept past the Atlantean invaders, submerging the entire city in a single stroke. Most of the citizens were able to make it to high ground, but there were still plenty of casualties.

After one hour, Ocean Monger ordered the water to recede back and create an impenetrable barrier around the city. Tula and her Royal Guard tracked down a crew of news reporters and brought them to their new queen. Ocean Monger smiled as she faced the camera. "See this? I did all this without breaking a _sweat._ If you know what's _good_ for ya, you'll _cease_ all overseas transportation, put an _end_ to worldwide water pollution, and bring your world leaders to _me_ for further demands. Oh, and the second I see anyone in _superhero tights_ heading here, I'll _flood_ the entire East Coast."

Once her message had been carried out, the tyrannical queen ordered the reporters to be sent away. Taking a stroll through the flooded streets, she drank her first victory as a ruler, wondering what her father would think. But she was brought out of her thoughts by the arrival of Murk and his men. They had been sent out by their leader to secure a specific apartment building and empty it out of its inhabitants. When they arrived, Jessica nearly choked up at the sight of the old complex.

She proceeded into the building, ignoring the fact that the rotted wooden door fell off the hinges as she made her way to the stairs. The Crab Soldiers were disgusted by the accumulated mold and garbage around them. At last, the queen stopped in front of another door, kicking it open with ease. This time, she didn't fight back her tears.

"We have secured this building as you ordered, my Queen." Murk announced. "But, if you don't mind my asking; why is this dilapidated hovel so _important_ to you?"

"Because…" Ocean Monger took off her helmet, breathing in the stale air. "It used to be _mine."_

* * *

 **The Trench.**

Wally and Andromeda carefully followed their guide through the darkened underwater caverns. Even Andromeda, whose eyes were used to the darkness of the deepest oceans, was having trouble seeing through the murky waters. But the former princess felt that she didn't have much to fear with the Flag close behind her, although he wasn't fairing any better.

Luckily, the Black Mantas did not rely solely on their dark magic to see. Their homes were lined with red, crystalline projections that managed to illuminate the deep waters. D'Vid, the tribal leader of the Mantas, sat upon a crude throne of coral, drinking a chalice filled with sea urchin venom. Andromeda bowed in respect, prompting Flag to do the same.

"Mighty Manta D'Vid…" She began. "My niece, Queen Marella, is dead. _Murdered_ in ritual combat."

"Were the odds _fair?"_ The leader interrupted.

"Y-yes, but-"

"Then it was _less_ of a murder than a _defeat."_

"Hey, look _here,_ you son of a-!" Wally got up to argue, but was knocked to the cold floor by a blast of dark magic from D'Vid's eyes.

 _"Silence!"_ D'Vid swam forward and pointed at his audience, menacingly. _"You_ cannot talk! One more _word,_ and I will feed you to my _son!"_

Wally shuddered in fear at the threat. The freezing temperatures of the depths cancelled out his connection to the Speed Force, and the pressure hindered his mobility, making him effectively useless. However, D'Vid gave a hearty, good-natured laugh and extended his hand to the fallen hero.

"I'm _kidding._ We're _pescatarians."_ D'Vid giggled as he helped the surface-dweller back to his feet. "So, if your queen is _dead,_ why have you come _here?"_

 _"This_ is why, Mighty D'Vid…" Andromeda pulled back her cloak and presented Nam'orn's trident to the collected group. "An _outsider_ sits upon the throne of Atlantis. She has declared _war_ upon the surface world. Her agenda will only result in the loss of innocent lives. Only _you_ can help us stop her. I ask you… no, I _beg_ you… please, help us."

D'Vid gingerly took the trident into his hands, admiring the ancient craftsmanship. As a child, he was taught by his father of the incredible power within the weapon of Atlantis' ruler, and often dreamed of what it would be like to one day wield it. A great feeling of temptation swelled in his chest; with such power, he could crush any enemy in his path and lead his people to glory.

But he had a more practical idea of what to do with it.

"Come with me." He ordered, returning it to Andromeda.

Reluctantly, the two visitors followed their host further into his hut until they came to a room filled with Manta women huddled around someone lying on the bed. Their eyes glowed the same shade of red as D'Vid's had, but with a weaker tone to it. Andromeda gasped upon closer inspection and Wally nearly stumbled backwards in shock.

"Marella!" Andromeda carefully knelt down next to the bed, taking her niece's hand in her own. The wounds from her battle with Hilera had been bandaged up, but the injured queen showed no response to her aunt's touch.

"One of our harvesters found her near the fishing grounds." D'Vid explained. "She was brought here, immediately, and has been in our care ever since."

"What're they _doing_ to her?" Wally asked, suspiciously.

"It is a _lighter_ variation of our Manta-Vision Attack. They are using the heat to massage her heart and keep her blood flowing. But I'm afraid there is _nothing more_ we can do for her."

"Let's get her on the ship!" Wally suggested. "Every Avengers ship comes fully-equipped with medical supplies."

"She has not regained her mystic powers." D'Vid cautioned. _"This_ is the only thing keeping her _alive._ If you take her away, she will be _dead_ before you even leave the Trench."

Andromeda looked down at the trident in her hands, realizing why D'Vid had refused its power. Setting the weapon on Marella's chest, the Atlantean Noblewoman sat cross-legged and began to pray. "Ancestors of Atlantis… heed my call… restore my queen's power."

Suddenly, the trident shone brilliantly, and Marella's wounds began to rapidly heal. The Manta women backed away as the queen bolted up in shock, breathing heavily from the experience. Andromeda wasted no time in bringing her beloved niece into a tight embrace, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks. Wally practically jumped with excitement as his old friend stood up from the bed.

"Marella! Am I glad to see-" The Flag looked around the room, embarrassed by all the suggestive looks everyone gave him. "... that you're okay." He finished, coughing into his fist.

Thankfully for him, Marella hardly paid any attention to him. The abrupt awakening had painfully restored all of her powers at once. Her entire body felt as if it were on fire, but she managed to pull through. "Where… is… Ocean Monger?" She growled, at last.

After a brief explanation, Marella meditated on the information she was given. Now that Atlantis' secret was revealed to the rest of the world, there was no chance of remaining hidden any longer. But perhaps it was not too late to stop the tyrannical pretender to the throne and lead Atlantis on the path to peace. She devised a plan with the Flag and explained what he would need to do.

"You can count on me, Marella." He promised with a smile and a wink. "I'll be _glad_ to finally get _this_ off my face."

"Then we must act _quickly."_ Andromeda piped up, handing her beloved queen her armor. "I managed to steal this during our escape. You'll _need_ it."

A loud, rude yawn interrupted the group. D'Vid smacked his lips in annoyance, looking down on the others. "Are you _done?"_ He groaned.

"Aunt Andromeda. Wally. Could you give me a _moment_ to speak with D'Vid?" Once they had left, Marella was alone with the man she had bested in combat. "Thank you for saving me." She smiled.

"Don't think _too much_ of it." The tribal leader scoffed and returned to his throne. "I owed you a _great debt._ You spared _my_ life, I saved _yours._ We are simply… _even."_

"My aunt… I wish for her to stay _here_ until the battle is over."

"No harm will come to her. I give you my word." He promised.

The Aqua-Mariner nodded, gratefully. "I could use the aid of your army."

D'Vid snorted. "I'll bet you _could._ But _no._ I will not risk innocent Manta lives for the sake of your _family squabble."_

"D'Vid, this is _serious."_ Marella measured her words carefully. "My cousin is out there, bringing war to the people we've _hidden from_ to stay safe. It is a threat to our-"

 _"_ ' _We?'"_ He crossed his arms, indignantly, scowling at his guest. _"'Our?'_ You are the first ruler in _centuries_ to come to these Trenches after _your_ family cast us out! My people have suffered _discrimination, neglect,_ and _hatred_ from your shining city. Why should I believe _you_ are any different?"

"Because _I_ have seen your people in a new light." Marella went on. "I have seen that your people are much like your _magic;_ chaotic and dangerous, but not _evil._ If we stand _together_ against Ocean Monger, we can finally _reunite_ that which was wrongfully torn apart!"

D'Vid sighed, heavily. "We will _not_ help you." Marella felt disheartened by his cold response. However, she couldn't blame him for not wanting to endanger his own people for her sake.

 _"Again,_ my thanks." She bowed one more time before she left, leaving D'Vid to silently ponder her words.

* * *

 **Boston, Massachusetts.**

Ocean Monger stood atop her childhood home, sadly reminiscing her late parents. Her father's strong arms and her mother's gentle voice were now distant memories in her mind. It was a pollutant-borne virus that took away her mother, and it was her own uncle that took away her father. It was only by sheer willpower and rage that she managed to get through her life.

Brought out of her thoughts by her soldier's call, she dried her eyes and climbed down. Murk and Tula approached the new queen to deliver the report from the U.N.

"What do you _mean_ they refused?!" She bellowed.

"You gave them too little time, Queen Hilera." Tula pleaded. "They need to plan-"

"There's only one _plan;_ don't pollute anymore!" Ocean Monger shouted. The terrorist clenched her fist around her trident harder, feeling the magic surge through her body. "Fine… if they won't take us seriously, we'll _make_ them take us seriously!"

The trident glowed brightly as the waters rose into a mighty tsunami once more. But as she ordered it to advance, the tides split apart and froze in place. Ocean Monger and her lieutenants rushed to the beach to see what could have caused it. A woman, clad in Atlantean armor and wielding a gilded trident stepped onto the beach. Ocean Monger's rage grew stronger as the woman took off her helmet to reveal her identity.

"She lives…" Tula gasped. "Queen Marella McCurry lives!"

"HILERA!" The Aqua-Mariner bellowed. "I never _yielded!_ And as you can see; I am _not_ dead!"

 _"Forget_ it!" Ocean Monger snapped. "That challenge shit is _over! I'm_ the queen, now! Murk, take this bitch out!"

"Murk!" Tula interrupted. "The challenge is _not_ complete!"

The captain of the Crab Soldiers looked back at his former queen, unsure of what to do. But as she placed her helmet back on and proceeded forward, he made his decision. "Crab Soldiers!" He announced. "CHARGE!"

Tula watched in disgust as the military attacked her friend. The rest of the Royal Guard shared her sentiment and they surrounded the tyrannical ruler. "No!" She growled, furiously. "Your heart is so _full_ of hatred! You are not _fit_ to be a queen!"

"Is that _so?"_ Hilera snarled and stabbed at Tula. However, Aqua-Mariner tackled her cousin , and threw her into the water. Simultaneously, a gust of wind rushed past the Royal Guard to keep the Crab Soldiers busy.

"Tula! Help the Flag!" Marella ordered and continued to fight her cousin.

The Royal Guard charged at the Crab Soldiers with blazing ferocity. But the group was vastly outnumbered; even with the Flag's help, they were soon overpowered. At last, they were cornered on the beach, backed up to the towering wall of water, completely surrounded by the Atlantean military.

Wally bravely held up his mentor's shield, keeping the Crab Soldiers away from Tula and her allies. "Just stay behind me!"

"Enough!" Murk shouted. "It is _pointless_ to resist! Now… you will _surrender_ and be brought to our queen to decide your fate!" But Wally stood his ground, refusing to lower his shield. Murk grew impatient. "You have _three seconds_ to throw down your weapons! One…! Two…! Thr-!"

However, everyone froze in their tracks as a low rumble came from the distance. No one spoke as the noise grew louder, surrounding the battlefield. At last, both the Crab Soldiers, the Royal Guard, and even the Flag recognized the call.

"Meerca!"

"Whoo-hah!"

"Meerca!"

"Whoo-hah!"

"Meerca!"

"Whoo-hah!"

D'Vid and a platoon of tribal soldiers, clad in black coral armor, burst from the sea and tackled the Crab Soldiers. The tribal leader lifted Murk with his bare hands over his head as his eyes glowed with red magic. "Witness the _might_ of the Black Manta Tribe! First hand! _RRRRAAAGH!"_ The soldier's durable armor was torn to pieces in D'Vid's hands and his people followed him into battle.

The Manta's proceeded to keep the corrupt soldiers at bay with the dark arts while Flag and the guard collected themselves. The super-speedster caught a glimpse of Marella's battle with her cousin and rushed to help, but Murk managed to impale his thigh with his spear. As Flag tried to remove the weapon so he could heal, Murk unsheathed his sword and gradually marched towards his enemy.

Blinded by rage, he swung his sword at the seemingly helpless hero, only to be countered by the Flag's unbreakable vibranium shield. Wally pushed back at his attacker, sending him into the air where he was blasted once more. D'Vid stood over the smoking body and helped remove the spear from Flag's wounded leg, helping him up. The black-skinned warrior patted his fist against his chest twice; Wally assumed it was his people's way of saluting, so he returned the gesture before speeding off.

Meanwhile, Aqua-Mariner and Ocean Monger were at each other's throats. Tumbling between land and sea, leaping great distances while their tridents clashed until they found themselves atop the apartment complex once again. The collateral damage was contained at super-speed thanks to Flag, so Marella could focus on beating her opponent. But she realized it was easier said than done, as she and Hilera were almost evenly matched. She was lucky enough to make it out of their first fight alive, but she had foolishly underestimated her enemy.

This time, she knew it would end in death. Noticing the waves rising higher, Marella realized that Ocean Monger was still control the tsunami. At any moment, it could flood America's East Coast and kill millions of people. "Getting tired, bitch?" Monger grinned. "Don't worry, I'm not letting that wave kill you… I'm gonna _gut_ you, myself."

"You _don't_ have to do this!" Marella tried to reason. "What happened to your father was _wrong!_ What happened to _you_ was wrong! But this isn't the way! If you do this, you will just be like _everyone_ you despise!"

"The world took _everything_ away from me!" Hilera tearfully screeched. "Everything I ever _loved!_ This time, _I'm_ taking something!But I'm gonna make sure we're _even!_ I'm gonna hunt down anyone who would even _think_ about being loyal to you, and I'm gonna _bury_ their ass in the dirt, right next to _Uncle Nam'orn!"_

Marella had heard enough. Waiting for the right moment, she somersaulted backwards and left herself open for a direct attack. Ocean Monger threw her trident at her, as expected, and at the last second, the Atlantean queen caught it. Next, she charged at her cousin with both weapons, swiping at her legs to knock her off-balance. Following her off of the roof, the two were in free-fall. With the other trident, she effortlessly sliced the silver helmet off of Hilera's head. Finally, as they got closer to the ground, Aqua-Mariner ran Ocean Monger through with her own circular trident.

With her rival defeated, Marella took her own trident and rushed to the shore to confront her people. The Crab Soldiers readied their weapons to counter strike, ignoring that the water behind them shaped into solid tendrils. With the army incapacitated, Aqua-Mariner stabbed her trident into the soft sand, forcing the tsunami back into the ocean.

"I AM YOUR QUEEN!" Her furious cry echoed around the entire city, striking fear into the hearts of everyone gathered.

"All… hail… the Aqua-Mariner." Murk groaned.

Tula and the Guard bowed in respect, as did Flag and the Black Manta Tribe. With the chaos passed, Marella made her way back to her cousin to help. Ocean Monger had lost much of her blood due to the injury, and the weapon was still stuck in her chest cavity.

"Hell of a move…" She gasped.

"... maybe we can _heal_ you." Marella offered, holding her cousin's hand.

But the terrorist scoffed in defiance, swatting her hand away. "Why? So you can just _lock me up_ for the rest of my life? No. Bury me in the ocean, like my _ancestors_ who jumped from the ships… 'cause they knew _death_ was better than _bondage…"_ With the last of her strength, Ocean Monger violently tore her father's trident out of her chest, and succumbed to her injuries.

* * *

 **One Week Later.**

Marella had seen to it that Atlantis helped in restoring the damage done in Ocean Monger's attack. The Justice Legion, grateful for saving the Flag, volunteered to help Atlantis join the United Nations to protect them from outside threats. As the clean up went on, Wally finally got Marella alone for a talk.

"I still have to _thank you,_ Wally." She said.

"Thank _me?_ For what?"

"For keeping my aunt safe. For _believing_ in me. For… _everything."_ The queen brushed her hair out of her face as she faced her oldest friend. "In fact, I was wondering if your offer was still valid?"

"My offer?" Wally looked surprised. "To… to _join_ the Avengers? You're _interested?"_

"It would be a good way to show Atlantis is _united_ with the surface world." She explained. "The Black Manta Tribe showed me that there's _more_ to this world than I thought. Plus, it'll give me a reason to be closer to my father's home… and to _you."_

Wally reached out to caress her face, locking their gazes together. His heartbeat sped up faster than ever as he leaned in and passionately kissed her. Her eyes shone with euphoria, her voice failing her at the time.

"You can't blame me, you almost _died."_ He blushed. Thankfully, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again.

 **To Be Continued!**


	101. Incredible Part 1

**Chapter XXXIII: Incredible! Part 1**

 **Ontario, Canada.**

Carter Howlett, alias the Hawk, woke up with pain radiating all over his body. Breathing heavily, the ancient muta-human slowly pushed himself off of the hard ground onto his knees. He tried to move his left arm, but every time he tried, his muscles seized up on him. After wiping the blood from his face, he found out why; his shoulder was dislocated .

"What the f…?" He muttered, looking for something to bite down on. At last, he found a sturdy piece of tree bark, bit down, and placed his right hand against his bicep. His teeth snapped the bark in half and he screamed in pain as his bones were properly reset.

His mutant healing factor finally kicked in, and he rose to his feet. With his mind clearing, Carter inspected his surroundings, deducing that he was in a Canadian forest. He thought back to how he got there. He remembered four supervillains kidnapping and torturing him for information he didn't possess. At least, not after being captured by a rogue anti-muta militant force.

But he remembered something else. After weeks of running, he found sanctuary in a school in upstate New York. It was there that he found kindness and acceptance where most people would have simply turned him away. And for the first time since he had remembered, he was happy.

Now, after narrowly escaping the four supervillains and sneaking aboard a cargo ship to cross over to North America, he felt as if he were back to square one. He had no idea how far he was from Winchester, how he had passed out, or how he had injured himself so severely.

"What the hell happened?"

As if fate had personally answered his question, a disturbing bellow drew his attention to a cliff in the distance. A large, muscular figure jumped from the high peak and, with a thunderous crash, landed only a few feet away from him. The monster let out a blood-curdling roar as he glared at the Egyptian muta-human, and suddenly, the final piece of Carter's puzzle fell into place.

"Oh, _yeah_ …" He grumbled, ready to unleash his claws.

* * *

 **S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters. New York, NY. Three Days Ago...**

"This is a _bad idea,_ Fury." Director Hill stated as he and the Secretary of Defense gazed at the cloned Radonian floating in the viscous material. "You didn't see it. I _did._ Whatever this thing is, it's _not_ Hyperman."

It had been six months since Director Hill's Suicide Squadron had successfully raided the underground H.I.D.R.A. lab and escaped with Hyperman's genetic clone. The scientific division kept him locked away far underground beneath their headquarters to prevent any unwanted incidents. But during the time they had him in their custody, they were unable to make sense of his genetics.

"Director Hill has a _point,_ Secretary Fury." One scientist chipped in. "In _this_ form, the clone displays _no trace_ of Radonian DNA. Perhaps if we can unlock his _Hybrid_ form-"

 _"Out_ of the question." Hill ordered. "That _thing_ shot _freeze rays_ out of its eyes and _breathed fire._ Additionally, it was about three times _bigger_ than Hyperman, and probably weight _ten times_ as much. And _on top_ of all that, it _can't_ be controlled."

"Not, _yet."_ Fury argued. "But if we can figure out how it ticks, we can find the right kind of _leverage_ to use against it. Wake him up."

"Yes, ma'am." The scientists drained the fluids from the tube, and the artificial being dubbed "Conner Banner" woke with a start. To agents opened the tank and pulled the kid out onto the floor, removing the breathing apparatus from his face.

"Are we done already?" The quivering boy asked.

"Not quite." Fury stepped forward, putting a towel around his shoulders. "We'd like to speak with your _other half._ So, if you could just bring him out."

"For the last time; it's _not_ something I can just do on _command!"_ Conner fumed, exasperated.

"Why _not?"_ She demanded.

"I-I don't _know!"_ The clone held the sides of his head firmly in his hands. "My powers are… the transformation only ever happens when I feel… _angry._ Or _stressed._ But… I just _don't know!_ Maybe… maybe whatever it is you keep _injecting_ into my bloodstream is preventing that. _Something's_ suppressing my adrenaline."

Hill turned to one of the scientists. "What _have_ you been pumping into him?"

"Well, we _do_ use metoprolol to keep him in line." She replied. "I suppose we _could_ reduce the dosage if we can be certain that he couldn't escape."

"... alright." Hill concluded. "I'll have the engineers work on reinforcing his cell before we run anymore tests."

"We have another facility in the North Atlantic." Fury offered. "Thanks to the new peace treaty between the U.N. and Atlantis. By the way, remind me to send Barnes a muffin basket for that."

"What…?" Conner brushed the residual goop out of his eyes. "No! Did you not hear a _single thing_ I just said?! It _can't_ be controlled!"

"Get him back to his cell." Hill ordered.

"Yes, Director." The agents nodded and dragged the clone away.

Knightwing was waiting just outside the wall of glass, working on his college homework. "Where's Speedster-Man?" One agent asked.

"I offered to take his shift." Tim explained. "He's still a little shaken up so his aunt and girlfriend took him out to dinner."

"Alright, just move out of the way and we'll get him in."

"No, problem. I need a snack, anyway." As Knightwing walked down the hall, he failed to notice one of his books had fallen out of his backpack and into the cell.

The guards pushed Conner inside, locked the door, and returned to their routine patrol. With a heavy sigh, Hyperman's clone sat down on his berth before he noticed the book. His curiosity getting the better of him, he opened it up to where a worksheet was folded inside. Better yet, he found a pencil near the cover.

Tim returned with a bag of corn chips when he saw the clone scribbling on his assignment. "Hey! Put that down!" He demanded. Conner made a few more strokes with the pencil before sliding the book through the lunch slot in the door.

"I finished it."

"Oh, _please."_ Tim scoffed as he picked up the book. "This is _college physics._ How could you possibly-" But his voice stopped once he actually looked at the equations. "Unbelievable." The college student gawked. "How do you know so much about thermonuclear physics?"

"My _dad_ taught me." Conner shrugged. "I also know _temporal physics, astrophysics, quantum physics,_ and _relative physics."_

"That's… that's _amazing."_ Tim shook his head in disbelief as his smile reflected on the glass. "And your creator -your _dad-_ he taught you _all_ of that?"

"Well, _no."_ Conner went on; happy to have a real conversation with someone for once. "My mom helped with the last two. Though she mostly taught me about _current events._ I _loved_ learning about real superheroes. I always _hoped_ I'd be a superhero one day."

"Yeah?" Tim smiled.

"Yeah. Gargoyle and Dare were my favorites." He went on. "I _really_ like how awesome your costumes look. Do you make them yourselves or…?"

"Well, _yes._ Actually." Tim felt highly flattered. "I mean, at first I just wore a hand-me-down, from the first two Dares. But then I designed _this."_

"That's so cool! Y'know, I would _very much_ like for you to help me design a suit for fun."

"Okay! Sure!" Tim put his backpack down and headed for the door. "I'll go get my sketchbook out of my locker and-" Suddenly, Gargoyle's protege stopped in his tracks and pivoted on his heels. "Wait a minute…" He shot a suspicious glance at the clone. "I see what you're doing."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

"... what am I doing?"

"You're trying to _trick_ me!"

"I _am?"_

Tim crossed his arms as he continued to glare. "You think that by appealing to my ego, talking about physics, and asking me to design you a suit, that I'm eventually gonna drop my guard, and help you escape."

"What?!" Conner shook his head. "No! That's not true at all! I just-"

"Nice _try_ , bro." Tim smiled, proud of himself. "But I'm not the apprentice of the world's greatest detective for my _good looks."_ The Hispanic hero lugged his backpack over his shoulder and marched out of the prison cell.

Conner grumbled, angrily. All he wanted was someone to talk to, but because of his unfortunate origins, everyone in this facility was afraid of him. Well, they were more afraid what he turned into, but that didn't help his case. He punched the wall, angrily, only to regret it soon after.

He massaged the bruise quickly, shaking it and blowing on it to ease the pain. But he soon realized that his hand wasn't bruised; it had turned gray, and soon faded back to his natural skin tone. In his mind, that meant one of two things: either his body was starting to grow immune to the drugs, or the Hybrid was growing stronger.

He had overheard Hill's plan to have him transferred to a remote island in the North Atlantic for further experimentation. But if he could get his inner demon to come out while they were in the air, he could finally escape. It wasn't the best idea, but it just might work.

* * *

 **Manhattan, NY.**

A group of armed thieves rushed out of the First National Bank and practically jumped into their car. The crashed their way through civilian vehicles, trying to get as far away from the crime scene as possible. The streets were soon flooded with police sirens and the chase was on.

One of the crooks took out his shotgun and blew one of the cops' tires. The remaining squad cars collided with the leader, and it looked as if the thieves would make a clean getaway. That is, until four concentrated bolts of lightning melted their tires. Before they could swerve onto a sidewalk, an orange woman clad in glistening armor landed right in front of the van and stopped it with her bare hands.

"Oh, _shit!"_ On of them gasped as Thunder Woman smashed the engine with her hammer. "My buddy ran into this crazy broad two years ago! She put him in traction for _six months!"_ He tried to climb out the back, but the doors were soon yanked off with ease, and the group huddled together for protection.

However, as the criminals trembled in anticipation of the indescribable pain that was soon to come, the alien set Mjolnir on the ground and kneeled in front of them. "Um, first of all; _hello._ My name is Delta-Ray Donna of Corbin. Or _Thunder Woman,_ if you prefer."

"... uh, hi?" The crook waved in bemusement.

"And _secondly;_ I'm still _learning_ about the customs of this planet, but I believe it's a _universal rule_ that you must _pay_ for those items before you run off with them."

About five minutes later, the thieves had willingly surrendered their guns and patiently waited with Donna for the police to arrive. Once they were away, the second Thunder Woman flew back to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s compound for a hearty lunch. Today was Thursday, which meant the cafeteria would be serving her favorite human dish; "the Sloppy Joe."

But when she arrived, she heard screaming coming from down the hall, and recognized it as her friend, Captain Hyper. She made it just in time to hear her finish her rant about the boy locked in a glass prison cell. Soon, Karen stormed off in her direction, leaving Tim to watch the captive.

"Oh, sorry, Donna." Karen apologized after bumping against her. "I didn't see you there. You heading to the cafeteria, too?"

"... we need to talk." Donna replied, ominously. Unnerved by her tone, Karen furrowed her brow in confusion as they proceeded to collect lunch. The chefs were left wheezing after cooking the twenty pounds of food Donna's digestive system required, and she was certain to always express her gratitude for their efforts.

"I see you got your usual Thursday haul…" Karen mused. "Ten scoops of mashed potatoes with gravy, eleven scoops of corn, eight scoops of green beans, nine yeast rolls, twenty-five sandwiches, and fifteen pudding cups."

"Actually, I only got twenty- _four_ sandwiches this time." Donna corrected. "I'm trying to _cut back."_

The magically-empowered alien led her friend to a secluded table. Halfway through her meal, Donna finally stopped eating long enough to speak clearly. "I've been thinking about our new guest. And more importantly, how you've been ignoring him." Hyper's face hardened. "I'm not exactly sure how he feels, but what I _do_ know is that he is a _living person._ And the only people he's ever know as his family are gone."

"Well, I don't see what _I'm_ supposed to do about it." Karen huffed.

"Karen, I _understand_ that this must be difficult for you, but please, be _sensible."_ Donna pleaded. "This boy _needs_ his cousin-"

"He's _not_ my cousin!" Karen's fists slammed down, splintering the table to pieces. The rest of Donna's food shot upwards and stuck to the ceiling. "He's a _cheap knock-off!_ An _abomination_ to my family heritage! A _clone…"_

Now, Donna and Karen had practiced sparing many times before. And, as to be expected with competitive teenagers, they often let their frustrations get the better of them. Yet never in all the years she'd know her had Donna ever seen her friend look so angry. Of course, she could understand why; if anyone had ever desecrated Diana's remains in such a fashion, she too would be furious.

With a heavy sigh, the Corbinite discarded her trash and grabbed her hammer. "I need to go back home for a few days." She stated. "We can continue this discussion when I _return."_

"... whatever." Karen muttered, solemnly staring at the splintered remains of the table.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Author's note: I've started classes at my Union Hall, again. Three hours after work on Thursdays, and nine hours on Saturdays. Ugh. So, I probably won't be able to work on this as much as I want to, but I am determined to see it to the end!**


End file.
